Dear Sora
by PhoenixDowner
Summary: As an eccentric old wizard tries to train a former assassin and a Princess of Heart together, Kairi writes letters to a dear friend to keep her sane.
1. Chapter 1 - Return

"Well, this is the place."

It was an unusual group that stood before the cozy little cottage belonging to the wizard Merlin that day. A young princess with bright red hair peered anxiously over the shoulder of her friend. Next to the two, and considerably shorter than the silver-haired young Keyblade Master he stood next to, was a walking, talking mouse.

In many worlds, such a sight would be strange, or even impossible. But this was Radiant Garden, the princess's former home. One might spot a talking duck selling ice cream in the outdoor marketplace, or a man who could fly with only one jet-black wing. The great and terrible Maleficent was rumored to lurk in the old castle, and some even swore they had spied mischievous fairies flitting about when night drew near.

Once in ruins and at the heart of a great evil, the past year or so had seen the citizens of Radiant Garden, led by the courageous Restoration Committee, work tirelessly to restore their home to its former glory. The cobblestone streets had been carefully replaced, and the walls down by the castle bailey were being rebuilt bit by bit. Even now, a plumber worked to return the once magnificent fountains, known the world over for their beautiful design, to their former splendor.

While the residents of this lovely world knew they still had much work to do to make everything as it once was, they never gave up hope. And whenever they did feel discouraged, they need only look at the brilliant sky, with its pinks and purples and shimmering lights, to find their inspiration once more.

It was to this world that our three visitors had arrived, luggage in hand. And it is here that our story begins.

oOo

It's strange. I don't think I've been here before, and yet...

That was the first thought that popped into Kairi's head as she stared at the house before her. Ever since they'd landed on Radiant Garden, she'd been hit with wave after wave of déjà vu. Seeing as how this world had been her home for the first several years of her young life, it wasn't surprising.

She took in every detail carefully, considering how this place would be her home once again for the next… well, it was anyone's guess as to how long she'd be here.

"Think we should knock?" Mickey asked, breaking her out of her reverie.

Riku set his luggage down and reached a hand to the door. He jumped back in surprise when a disembodied voice called, "No need to bother with formalities, come in, come in!"

Looking at his two companions and shrugging, Riku entered the little house.

"Merlin?" he called.

"Sorry, my boy. You'll have to excuse me, I'm busy training Lea at the moment. There's tea on the table, please help yourself."

At the mention of her kidnapper, Kairi stiffened.

"Oh, well Mickey and I can't stay long, we actually need to…"

Kairi put a hand on his arm.

Please, don't go yet.

Riku looked at her, and understanding filled his expression. But there was something akin to desperation in his eyes, too.

"It's Master Aqua, isn't it?" Kairi said.

Ever since her friend had learned of Master Aqua's tragic fate, he'd been single-mindedly focused on saving her.

"It's just that— when I was in the Realm of Darkness, I had friends to guide me home. But she's been alone, all this time."

Kairi forced a smile. She had to be brave.

"I understand."

Asking for more time with Riku was selfish, if it meant Master Aqua was stuck in the Realm of Darkness for even a moment longer than necessary.

King Mickey cut in. "It's okay, Riku. We can stay for a little while."

Surprised, Kairi turned to him, a question on her lips. He just smiled and shook his head.

Riku looked between his two friends. Kairi's eyes were filled with uncertainty, and he was reminded that Aqua wasn't the only one who needed him.

"You're right. We'll help you get settled in, then head out," he said at last.

The tea was delicious, chamomile with a hint of honey and lemon. A wave of tranquility settled over Kairi as her nerves calmed down. Riku studied his cup suspiciously after just a few sips, and then spent the next few minutes slipping sugar cubes into it at random intervals to hide the fact that he wasn't drinking it.

"Do you like the tea? It's my special recipe. It changes flavors and effects based on how you're feeling."

Riku raised his eyebrows, and he and Mickey exchanged glances. Kairi looked into her tea again, disconcerted. What had she just drunk, exactly?

"See that stone on the table in the corner? Yes, the one with the glowing runes. Touch the one shaped like a funny-looking 'K' and it'll bring you right outside of Kairi's room. Kairi and Riku, please make your way there. Oh, and Kairi, my dear, if you have any clothes suitable for training, please change into them. Mickey, I'd like to speak with you, so please press the 'T'-looking rune."

The three of them followed his directions. Kairi and Riku disappeared and then reappeared in a long hallway filled with doors. The one directly in front of them already had Kairi's name written on it, on a simple blue and white sign.

She took a deep breath and opened the door. Inside was a simple wooden bed with a patchwork quilt and fluffy pillow, and next to the bed were a dresser with four drawers and a lamp on top. Most of the floor was covered in an ancient-looking rug with elaborate designs. Off to the side were two more doors, one for a closet, and the other for a bathroom with an antique white and gold bathtub and matching sink.

It was charming, in its own quaint way. She kicked off her shoes, set her bag by the bed, and sat on it, breathing deeply. The room gave off the faintest smell of salt water and old books. Maybe it was enchanted, too.

Riku still stood by the door.

"You can come in." She laughed as he made his towards her, ducking through the doorframe so he didn't hit his head. She patted the spot on the bed next to her and he sat down.

"So, what do you think?" he asked, taking in the room around him.

"I like it. It reminds me of home."

"Good. Look, Kairi, I'm sorry that you have to train with the guy who kidnapped you—"

She waved her hand back and forth, cutting him off.

"You don't need to apologize. It's not your fault. By the way, thank you… thank you for staying."

I know you'd rather be searching for Master Aqua right now, so it means the world to me that you put your mission off for just a little while longer to comfort me.

He cleared his throat. "Um, sure. Look, I don't know if it'll make you feel any better, but Axel, I mean Lea, did help us out of a tight spot recently."

Kairi frowned. "King Mickey said that he saved Sora, right? That's good, but I still don't trust him."

"Good. He should earn your trust himself. But even then, you don't owe him anything. Even if you are training together. Just remember that, okay?"

"Yeah."

She wanted to learn how to fight, just not like this.

"I think his heart's in the right place. But if anything happens, you let me know, okay?" He put a hand on her shoulder. "My loyalty lies with you and Sora, first and foremost."

She nodded. "Agreed."

The reassurance his words provided, the way he was still looking out for her and protecting her, calmed her heart. If only she could protect him in the same way.

Well, that's why she was here, right?

Riku stood, the words on his mind now out in the open.

"Well, I guess I should get going. You've got training to start."

Kairi summoned her Keyblade and held it in front of her. The memories of how Riku had helped her summon it for the first time filled her mind, and she smiled.

"You're a natural, Kairi. Just watch, you'll be joining me and Sora in no time."

Kairi let it disappear. "Thanks, Riku."

She gave his hand a squeeze and smiled. "You'll find Aqua, I know it. They couldn't have picked anyone better for the job."

"You really think so?"

The doubt and uncertainty in his eyes betrayed how he still felt about himself.

I wish you could see yourself the way Sora and I do, she thought sadly.

"I know so. You weren't made a Master for nothing."

She grabbed his hand again. Digging a pen out of the pouch on her waist, she drew a smiley face on the bandage around his wrist, scribbling a quick message underneath for him to read later.

"There. For good luck."

Riku turned his wrist this way and that, trying to read what she'd written and cracking up when he finally did.

"Now who's acting like Sora?" he said, shaking his head.

"Hey, that's a Kairi original. And my magic works, you know," she said seriously. "It's brought Sora back to me every time. So I know it'll work for you, too. You'll find Aqua and we'll all be together again before you know it."

He looked at her for a moment before a smile played at the corner of his mouth.

"Thanks, Kairi. See you soon."

He picked up his bag, disappearing into the hall as she closed the door behind him.

She was alone. She plopped back onto the bed, staring at the ceiling and sighing. The empty, sinking feeling that overtook her was not helping.

Well, no use in putting it off. It was time to get changed and meet her new companions.

oOo

"Come in, my dear, come in," Merlin called.

Kairi peeked into the room. An elderly man wearing a matching blue hat and robes with a long white beard and spectacles greeted her. A tall figure with spiky red hair turned and faced her as well.

Her stomach lurched at the sight of him. She forced the door open wide enough to slip through, and as soon as it was shut, she braced herself against it, the wood rubbing up against the skin left exposed by her tank top.

Axel looked different, there was no mistaking that. Gone were the distinctive teardrop-shaped tattoos underneath his eyes, and gone was the black robe. In their place, he wore simple sweats, and his hair was pulled back with a headband.

"Kairi!" he shouted, running over.

It was all she could do to force herself to stay in place. She'd never been fast or particularly strong, but if her life depended on it, she could probably put up a good fight…

"Lea, my boy, no need to run about like an excited puppy," Merlin scolded. "Give the girl her space. Actually, why don't you take a break? I'd like to speak with Kairi alone."

Kairi felt a huge wave of relief. Merlin, at least, seemed to get it. She gave him a grateful look, and the old wizard returned it with the slightest tilt of his head.

Axel backed off, apologetic. She moved aside to let him through the door, carefully avoiding his eyes. When he had finally left, she approached Merlin.

"You must be Merlin," she said.

"That is correct."

There was something about him that seemed familiar.

"I feel like we've met before, sir."

The wizard's lips twitched. "Indeed we have. I believe I used to tell you stories about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table when you were just a little girl."

"And his magical sword Excalibur! I remember now!" Kairi said, clasping her hands excitedly. "I used to listen to you in the town square with my grandma!"

"You always did love my stories."

"Please, tell me more of them!" Kairi begged, completely forgetting for a moment where she was and why she was here.

The old wizard chuckled and waved his hands in the air. "All in due time, my dear, all in due time. First, we have business to discuss."

"Oh, sorry," Kairi muttered. It was hard not to let her enthusiasm get the better of her sometimes.

"No need to apologize. Better to be overly enthusiastic than apathetic. Now, I'd like to give you a little test of sorts, to see where you're at. Is that alright?"

"A test? What kind of test?" she asked, tilting her head to one side. She didn't know that much about wielding a Keyblade yet, so how could he possibly expect her to…

"Well, I can't tell you that. It's a part of the test."

"Um, okay."

"You'll find that learning through experience is better than just reading a book, although reading does have its time and place." The wizard gestured at an enormous bookshelf in the corner, filled with books of all different shapes and colors and sizes. She stared at them, trying to make out some of the titles.

"Ahem."

She turned her attention back to Merlin. "Sorry!"

"Are you ready?"

"Ummmm, yes?"

"Summon your Keyblade."

Kairi held her hand out, staring at it intently. The blade soon materialized, and she drew herself into the battle stance Riku had taught her.

Merlin sighed. "Oh good, you're already off to a better start than Lea. It took us days to get him to summon his."

Kairi dropped her Keyblade to her side in surprise. "Seriously? But I thought that he—"

With a quick flourish of his wand, Merlin cast a spell that hit Kairi full force. The world around her sped up, or was it that her limbs moved as if she were wading through molasses?

Merlin's mischievous face warped all around her, sending weak magic spells her way. She dodged a blizzard spell just in the nick of time. Then his aero spell caught her and sent her flying. He followed it up with a gravity spell that suspended her in midair, stopping her from crashing into the wall. She fell to the ground with a thud and winced.

She refused to give up. Struggling to her feet, she dove out of the way of his next spell. The next minute or so was spent running around, trying to avoid his attacks and get in a few of her own. Each moment was a learning opportunity, but each moment was also wearing down her energy.

She saw her window and took it. She charged at him and swung her Keyblade. Right as it would have connected with his body, he disappeared into a puff of smoke.

The momentum sent her sprawling, and her Keyblade flew from her hands. A light tap on her back told her she was defeated.

"Not bad, not bad at all," Merlin said, gathering his robes and returning to his seat.

Kairi stood, wiping the sweat from her brow and readjusting her ponytail. She faced her new teacher expectantly. He tucked his wand back into his robe and looked up.

"You're a very aggressive fighter. Your defense could use some work, and you clearly don't know any magic, but you've got potential. Why no one's bothered to teach you until now, especially with your latent magic ability, I'll never know."

"My latent magic ability?"

The old wizard readjusted his glasses and peered closer at her. "Well goodness, didn't anyone ever tell you? As a Princess of Heart, you could be one of the most powerful mages of this age. Why, with the right training, you could harness your powers to heal armies, stop an attack in its tracks, reverse even the direst of conditions! There is a reason you and your fellow princesses have been sought after. Together, you have the power to create and destroy entire worlds."

Kairi was silent, letting the words sink in.

Me? Powerful?

She'd never felt powerful in her entire life. None of her so-called powers had saved her from being ripped away from her original home, or prevented her heart from being torn from her body, or stopped Sora from disappearing before her very eyes, or kept her from forgetting about him, or spared her from being kidnapped…

The old wizard's expression softened.

"You don't believe me, do you?"

She shook her head.

"A princess who, through the power of her love, turned her friend into a human again, after he became one of the very monsters he once fought. She can see his heart's true form, no matter what his outward appearance may be. Doesn't that remind you of all the stories I used to tell you?"

Kairi clutched the necklace around her neck. She didn't know how Merlin knew about that, but the way he spoke almost made her believe him. It really did sound like a fairytale.

"And, she saved her friends from wasting away in the Realm of Darkness without so much as lifting a Keyblade. Strength comes in many different forms, my dear."

What he was saying was true, but that didn't change why she was here.

"I still want to learn how to fight."

"Indeed. Your friends mean well, and you've been patient. But the best way to keep you safe is to teach you how to defend yourself. You merely lack the training, not the strength of heart or will."

Kairi nodded, and Merlin continued.

"Now, a few quick housekeeping things. Training will start daily at nine sharp, and finish by around five, with breaks for lunch and tea. Some days we may finish earlier, some later. The time in the evening is yours. You are free to do whatever you wish. While we are in the chamber, my magic will slow the flow of time, so much less of it will pass in here than in the rest of Radiant Garden, almost as if we're on a different world. But you will still continue to age relative to your home world, so don't worry about that."

"Okay. Is it alright to visit other parts of Radiant Garden during my free time?"

Merlin stroked his beard in thought. "Hmmmm… I can't say I'd originally planned on that, but if you really want to…"

"It's my grandmother, sir. I want to see her."

The old wizard's expression softened. "I understand. You are free to visit her any time you like. Just let me know beforehand."

"Of course."

"Well, that's about all I have to tell you. Is there anything else?"

A slight blush crept across her cheeks. "Actually, there is something… Is there any way for me to send letters?"

"That depends. Who are you trying to send them to?"

"Sora."

"Ah. If he were staying in one place, it would be a simple manner. But since he's moving around so much, in and out of various realms, it might be a bit trickier…"

Bummer.

Her head drooped before she answered. "I see. I'll just find another way to keep in touch with him then."

"I can still send them, the timing may just be a bit off, since not much of it will pass outside compared to in here—"

Lots of time would pass for her… not much time for him… lots of days and things to write about in the same time it would take for him to visit a world or two…

"That's alright. I think I've got another idea."

She nodded, a twinkle in her eye. Yes, it was the perfect idea.

"If you say so. Let me know if you change your mind. And one more thing."

"Yes?"

"When Lea was a Nobody, he kidnapped you, didn't he?"

Kairi's eyes went wide. How did he know about that?

"Well, yes, he did, but—"

"How do I know, you may wonder? Well, you'll find that I experience time a bit —differently from other people. But that is not what we are discussing. I know Lea means well, and he is trying to make amends, but the decision to train with him is up to you. No one will blame you for not wanting to work with your kidnapper."

Merlin was giving her the choice?

She clutched the necklace around her neck again, thinking hard.

On the one hand, she really didn't want to be around Axel. She didn't trust him one bit, despite what the others had said.

But on the other hand, a part of her deep down knew that she had to let go of her resentment eventually. Like Riku had said, she didn't owe Axel anything. But for her own sake, she wanted to move on. Maybe the best way to do that would be to avoid him completely. But he was an ally now. With an enemy like Xehanort, they didn't have the luxury of picking and choosing their allies. If she wanted to fight, she knew she'd have to deal with being around him eventually.

"To be honest, I don't really want to train with him."

The old wizard nodded in understanding.

"But I also want to do what's best for everyone. We need as much help as we can get. If I want to fight too, I'll have to put aside my feelings for now."

Merlin shook his head. "You'll do nothing of the sort. Shoving aside the anger and hurt you rightfully feel will backfire spectacularly."

This was one of the few times someone had so carefully considered her feelings about the matter. Even Riku and King Mickey had been quick to reassure her that Axel was on their side now.

"So you're saying I should deal with it? How?"

"Well, I think an apology from Lea would be a start. If you're going to train with him, he owes you that much at least. But he has to really mean it. I won't interfere with the process."

Kairi nodded. A forced apology would be no apology at all.

"But if at any time, you feel uncomfortable around him, let me know," Merlin continued. "If you train with him, it is by choice and not by force. This arrangement can end at any time. Just say the word."

She relaxed. She felt better already, knowing she had more control over her situation than she'd originally thought.

"Understood."

"That being said, I may put the two of you in difficult situations where you'll have to work together to solve them. Is that alright?"

"I guess we'll find out."

"That's the spirit. Well then, my dear, are you ready?"

She summoned her Keyblade and nodded. It was finally time.

oOo

Dear Sora,

You may be wondering why this is an entry in my diary instead of a letter. Well, I wanted to write you letters. But Merlin said that that because you're moving around a lot, and hardly any time is passing for me, it would be difficult to get them to you on time. So I came up with another idea. I'll write about my training and day-to-day life instead, and give it to you when I see you again. I'm going to work hard, and I can't wait to show you all the progress I've made when I see you next.

I'm training with Merlin right now, back on the world where I'm originally from: Radiant Garden. You've been here many times now, right? I have a confession to make: when you asked, I lied when I said I didn't remember it. But I was worried about Riku's obsession with getting off Destiny Islands, knowing what had happened to my world. I knew that if I told you the truth, you would tell him. In the end, hiding things from the two of you was pointless though. Especially since I showed you some of my memories when I was inside your heart anyway. Sorry for not telling you earlier.

It's funny how so much has changed, and yet how familiar it all still feels. I haven't had the chance to explore yet (busy day), but I want to see if my old haunts are still there. I'd like to show them to you someday. There's a really pretty fountain that my grandma used to take me to, I wonder if it's still there. I'll let you know if I find it.

Merlin says he knows you well, and that he even helped train you! He used to tell me stories when I was little, and it was good to hear them again. My favorite is about King Arthur and his magical sword Excalibur. I begged to hear the rest, but he said all in due time, all in due time. Someday, I'll get the full story out of him! You wouldn't happen to know it, would you? I know you wanted to name our raft Excalibur, after all.

To be honest, Sora, I wish you were the one training me. Either you or Riku. It's not because Merlin's a bad teacher; in fact, the opposite is true. It's because I'm training with Axel Lea (still not used to calling him that, and probably won't ever be).

I know, I know, he's on our side now, right? And we need all the allies we can get. It's why Yen Sid finally decided to train me, I guess (about time, might I add!). And Riku and King Mickey told me it would be okay. But I don't know, I still feel uneasy around him.

I mean, he acts so awkward and regretful and sorry. But I'm not feeling very forgiving yet, especially after all the times he hit me with his Keyblade today – the man needs to learn that a Keyblade is not a chakram and shouldn't be thrown like one, and I got the bruises to prove it! I also have a bad feeling about how much he likes fire – if my hair's shorter the next time I see you, you'll know why.

I know you though. You're naturally forgiving, and you'd probably say that we can trust him now and that I should give him a chance. But I've also seen how you treat people who have hurt me, so then again, maybe not.

I don't hate him, I guess, but I'm still not ready to trust him. For now, I'll train with him so I can get stronger, but the only thing we have in common is our end goal. And our hair color, I guess. Don't expect me to become friends with him.

Okay, I'm exhausted and should get some sleep. Because of the way the Time Chamber works, hardly any time has passed on the outside, but for me it's been hours of work.

Yours truly,

Kairi

P.S. I don't know all the details, but since Merlin explained that the Time Chamber is kind of like being in a different world, a much longer time will pass in the chamber than in Radiant Garden during the same duration.

To be honest, it gives me a bit of a headache trying to understand, but just remember that I'll have been in here for a much shorter time in the real world than you might think.

So don't worry, I'm not about to miss your birthday or magically become a few years older than you! My aging stays constant relative to Destiny Islands, no matter how long I've been in the chamber. Merlin hopes I'll only be in here a few weeks at most of real time, and so do I. I can't wait to get out there and help you fight!

oOo

A/N: The inspiration for this story came when I played 0.2: Birth by Sleep – A Fragmentary Passage. Kairi and Lea will be training together in Kingdom Hearts 3, and since the game will probably mainly focus on Sora's journey, I came up with some ideas of my own for Kairi's role.

Before I knew it, a one shot had become a full-blown story in its own right. I'd written about half of it when the Kingdom Hearts Orchestra World Tour kicked off, and you better believe I was thrilled to hear that Kairi writes a letter to Sora sometime during the events of KH3. Some of the details from the letter are included in this story, but it also does its own thing from time to time.

I've tried to be very careful about Kingdom Hearts lore, magic, weapons, attack names, etc., but if you've noticed any mistakes, feel free to let me know.

There is Sokai stuff throughout the story, but the main focus will be on Kairi's training, as well as how she reconnects with her past and comes to terms with being around Lea.

I wrote this story so that it could conceivably fit in with what we know about Kingdom Hearts 3 so far. I've tried to keep characterization, in particular the way each character speaks, in line with canon, so any critiques on that front especially are welcome.

Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2 - Reunion

Chapter 2 - Reunion

"'Here you are, miss."

The kindly shopkeeper handed Kairi a bouquet of flowers. "Plucked straight from the gardens of the castle this morning by my grandson. Best of the lot, I'd say."

"Thank you," Kairi said, taking the bouquet from the lady's hands and handing her the necessary munny. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. The smell of the precious blooms brought back a flood of memories. Lazy days spent at her grandma's house, the smell of apple pie cooking in the kitchen, the musty old books in the castle's library, and most of all, her grandma's rose perfume, the one with just the tiniest hint of lavender, sprang into her mind.

Destiny Islands, as beautiful as it was, just didn't have the same flowers as Radiant Garden, nor the memories they carried. She didn't realize how much she'd missed them until now.

"Do you like 'em?"

Kairi opened her eyes and smiled. "They're lovely. Just like I remembered."

The shopkeeper flashed a gap-toothed grin. "Good, I'm glad to hear that, miss." She tucked Kairi's munny into her own little pouch and readjusted her shawl. "You been away a long time?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I have."

"'How long, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Since before Radiant Garden fell."

The old woman's eyes, which before had been squinted nearly shut, went wide in shock.

"So you wasn't here for any of that Heartless business?"

Kairi shook her head. "I… I left, before they took over."

The lady sat back down on her little stool. "Good. You would've been just a small girl when it happened. Nobody that young shoulda been around for that."

"No. No one, no matter who they are, or where they're from, should ever have to see their world fall," Kairi said softly.

She'd tried so hard. She'd known something had been wrong with Riku. She'd even tried to get Sora to see it, once she knew she couldn't reach him any longer herself. She'd thought that surely Riku might listen to his best friend. But Sora hadn't understood until it was too late, and Kairi was left to hold back the darkness on her own.

She'd been too weak to do it. In the end, she couldn't protect the heart of Destiny Islands, she couldn't stop the onslaught of Heartless, and her heart had been torn from her body in the effort.

She had to get better. Stronger. It was why she was here.

"That's right, love. We won't let them win. It's why we're rebuilding. Gotta pick up the pieces and start fresh." She gestured at the bouquet in Kairi's hands. "Those flowers are something special, you know. If they can start over, so can we."

"Yeah."

Kairi thanked the woman again and walked past the other little stalls lining the street, selling all kinds of wares. If her memory was correct, she was almost to the point where she needed to turn left. The street here was narrow, and she always used to hold her grandma's hand and follow closely behind her at this spot.

Right before she could turn, a tall figure with fiery red hair jumped off of the roof of the house to her right, interrupting her progress.

"You know, Kairi, did it ever cross your mind that just maaaaaaaaaybe you shouldn't be out wandering the streets all by yourself? You know, since you're a Princess of Heart and all?" Axel leaned against the wall of the house to the right, pulling out a blue ice cream bar and munching on it.

"Stop following me around. It's creepy."

Axel continued as if he hadn't even heard her comment. "I know there haven't been many Heartless spotted around here lately, which frankly is more concerning than anything, because it means Maleficent is up to no good, but—"

"Axel—"

"I'd bet Geezernort has it out for you too, and it would be a shame if he caught you off guard."

Kairi rolled her eyes. "I'll be fine, Axel. He doesn't even know I'm here." She tried to push past him, but he blocked her progress.

"I wouldn't be so sure. All it would take is for one of his oh so special Seekers of Darkness to spot you and it would all be over." He gestured dramatically to get his point across.

"Well, it's a good thing I'm learning how to fight then, isn't it?"

For goodness' sake, she was just trying to pay her grandma a visit! It wasn't like she was off wandering the depths of the castle or something.

"Yeah, but you still…"

"I still _what,_ Axel?" she spat. "I still can't fight that well? I'm just going to my grandma's house, I think I'll be alright." She shoved the bouquet in his face as proof.

He pushed it to the side.

 _I swear, if you smashed any of the flowers…_

"Your grandma's house?" His eyebrows shot up, green eyes wide. "Wait, are you from here? I thought you were—"

"From Destiny Islands? Surprise, I'm not. This was my original home before Xehanort so _kindly_ cast me out of it in his obsession to find Riku, Sora, and the Keyblade." Kairi instinctively clutched the necklace around her neck.

Axel was still recovering from his shock. "I-it was? I, I'm sorry, I didn't know."

She sighed, shaking her head. "It's alright. It was a long time ago."

"Yeah, but that doesn't make it any better."

She was surprised by how upset he seemed about the whole thing. What did he care that she'd lost her home? They barely even knew each other.

She fiddled with the necklace in her fingers. "Well, it wasn't all bad. I never would have met Sora or Riku if it hadn't happened." She smiled fondly at the thought of her two best friends.

"Doesn't excuse what he did."

Kairi looked up. She didn't like the bitter edge to his words or the dark look in his eyes.

"Axel, I'm not in this for revenge. There's no point. I'm here to help Sora and Riku set things right, not to get back at Xehanort. I'm doing this for the sake of all the people he's screwed over."

"And you're one of them."

She clutched the necklace even tighter.

"The others have had it far worse than me."

Axel barked out a laugh, a sound completely devoid of any actual mirth. "Is that what you tell yourself to keep from going off the handle? You lost your home and your body. The boy you like – come on, don't look so surprised, anyone with half a brain can see it – turned himself into a Heartless to save you. Then you were stuck on those islands for a year waiting for him to come back, and he never did. And then yours truly kidnapped you, which led to Saïx imprisoning you in the World That Never Was. See? You can't measure suffering, Kairi. It's stupid to try."

Why was she standing here listening to him yammer on?

She stomped her foot in frustration. "Ugh, I've had enough of this! I'm going to see my grandma whether you like it or not! If Merlin thinks it's okay, then that's good enough for me!"

"Fine! I won't stop you! But don't blame me if anything goes wrong!"

"It won't, you nag! And even if it did, seeing my grandma again is worth the risk!"

Axel sighed, finally moving over to let her pass. He examined what remained of the ice cream, and tossed the stick onto the ground.

"Are you just gonna leave that there?" Kairi knew she was pushing her luck, but the last thing she wanted to see was trash littering the streets of her former home.

"I can't believe you, here I am, trying to… Oh, forget it." Axel clicked his tongue in annoyance.

Kairi glared at him, rooted to her spot. She wouldn't leave until he picked it up. He glared back.

She was determined to out-stubborn him.

She'd had years of practice with Sora and Riku, after all. Axel was one of the most stubborn people she'd ever met, but he'd finally met his match.

He relented at last.

"Oh, fine." He stooped to pick up the stick, rolling his eyes. "I don't see what the big deal is."

"Don't you care?" she snapped. "This is your home, and everyone here's trying to rebuild it, and then you go and throw a popsicle stick on the ground. Don't you care about anything at all!?"

She regretted her words the instant they came out of her mouth. He quickly masked the pain in his eyes, but not before she could see it.

She reached a hand towards him, but he pushed it away, pinning it against the wall.

"Axel, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have—"

"That's where you're wrong, Kairi. I do care." He looked up and gave her a sad smile before releasing her hand and disappearing around the corner.

 _What… did he mean by that, exactly?_

oOo

It was with a mind lost deep in thought that she finally arrived on the steps of her grandma's house. It was a little old cottage on the outskirts of the town, with shuttered windows and flower boxes and a wooden door with a wreath on it.

It was almost exactly like her memories.

Taking a deep breath, she lifted a hand to knock on the door.

 _Please still be here, please still be here._

After what felt like an eternity, the door finally creaked open.

A little old woman stood there, hair tucked into a tight bun. She wore a purple dress with a white apron and a brown shawl, and leaned against a gnarly wooden cane for support.

She was a little older and frailer than Kairi remembered, but there was no mistaking who she was.

"Grandma? I-it's me."

The old woman stared at her. For several agonizing moments, Kairi wondered if she'd come to the wrong house after all, or worse, if her grandma was—

"Kairi? Is that really you?"

Kairi nodded. The old woman's eyes filled with tears. In an instant, she closed the space between them, pulling Kairi into her arms and clinging to her.

Her grandma's perfume was just like she remembered. It brought back so many memories that she'd thought had been lost for good. Her own eyes began to water as she wrapped her arms around her grandma in return, taking care to protect the flowers.

"I thought I'd lost you for good. You just disappeared one day, and I never knew what happened." The older woman sobbed.

Kairi tightened her grip. "I'm okay, Grandma. I was sent to another world, but I'm back now."

"Thank goodness. Every day, I prayed for your safe return, but I didn't think that—"

"That I'd come back? But I had to. I just had to."

They fell silent, enjoying the first hug they'd had in years.

It was her grandma who finally pulled away, so she could give her a thorough examination. She cupped Kairi's cheek, and then put a gnarled old hand against Kairi's young one to compare the two.

"You've gotten so big, my dear. Why, you're a young woman now."

Kairi's face flushed.

"And so lovely. You were always a pretty girl, so it comes as no surprise that you're a beautiful young woman."

"Th-thank you. I-I got these for you," Kairi stammered, offering the bouquet. The poor flowers had seen far more excitement today than they probably should have, but at least most of them had survived the journey.

Her grandma smiled, taking the bouquet. "Just like you always used to. Come in, my dear. You're in luck. I made apple pie today, and it's cooling in the kitchen now. I'll find a vase and then we can talk. We have a lot of catching up to do."

"Yes, we do. Oh, and Grandma?"

"Yes, my dear?"

"Can you tell me a story?"

"Of course. I can tell you any story you'd like."

Kairi smiled as she crossed the threshold of her grandma's cottage. It felt good to be back. Deep down, she knew that a part of heart belonged here, and always would.

oOo

Dear Sora,

I explored Radiant Garden for a couple of hours today. Only after I convinced Merlin to have pity on us and give us a break though. We must have spent seven hours practicing guarding and dodging! I'm glad he chose these particular skills for this lesson though, as I can happily report that Axel only hit me twice this time around! Progress!

(It would have been more like six times, but I dodged or deflected the other four throws, for comparison. Also, part of me thinks the skills we worked on during today's session can't be a coincidence, as Merlin's looked concerned about my safety for the past few days…)

To be honest, it's a bit intimidating, training with Axel. He's a skilled assassin, right? He knows how to fight, and I'm just a rookie. My one advantage is that he doesn't really know how to fight with a Keyblade yet, and in some ways his experience is actually getting in the way of him learning how to use one properly. At least I don't have any bad habits to unlearn. And what I lack in skill I can partially make up for in temper, provided I've been hit by enough stray Keyblades…

Oh, and he and I got into a fight today. He was following me around like a creep and I was fed up with it! I did feel bad about one of the things I said though. You know how I can be, sometimes I just say things without thinking them through. I tried to apologize but he just walked away. Tomorrow's gonna be awkward.

Speaking of tomorrow, I can't wait till we get to magic, I feel like that's more where my natural strength lies anyway. Healing will be a useful skill to have. And I want to put my Princess of Heart powers to good use! Merlin says to be patient and take things one day at a time though.

Anyway, back to exploring. I looked for that fountain I told you about. It's being repaired, as part of it was destroyed when the world fell to darkness. The architect was nice and showed me the plans, and they look lovely. I'm glad the people here want to restore Radiant Garden to the way it used to be. Though I will say that all of the abandoned, broken buildings are beautiful in their own way. Maybe it's the way the wind howls through them at night, or how striking they look against the pink sky.

And Sora, I got to see my grandma again. I found her house, exactly where I remembered it. How long has it been since I'd last seen her? Eleven years? Twelve? She couldn't believe it at first. She thought I'd been lost for good when our world fell, but then she looked into my eyes and she could tell it was me. I spent hours at her place filling her in on all that's happened, and I promised I'd visit tomorrow.

I don't know what I'm going to tell her though when the time comes for me to leave. My birth parents passed away a long time ago, and I have a family now on Destiny Islands. It's my home now. But I still feel a pull to this place, and I can't help but wonder what my life would have been like if I had never been stolen away from it.

But then I wouldn't have met you.

I can't imagine my life without you in it. I don't even want to try. It was bad enough when I forgot about you. I never want to go through that again.

Well, I should probably get some sleep. I'll write more later!

Yours truly,

Kairi

oOo

A/N: Kairi meeting her grandma again is something I've wanted to write about for a while now, so I'm glad I could include it in this story. Hope you enjoyed their reunion, and thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3 - Regret

Chapter 3 – Regret

 _Knock, knock._

Kairi sighed and rolled over onto her back, clutching the pillow to her chest and staring at the ceiling. She didn't even have to open the door to know who was there.

"Kairi, are you in there? Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"If you're here to apologize again, or tell me not to visit my grandma, forget it," she retorted.

It had only been a little over a week since they'd started, and Kairi had already lost count of the number of times Axel had said sorry or worried about her safety.

It had gotten really bad after their fight. Talking to each other so honestly had finally broken the awkward silence between them for good. Axel had apologized for the fight and then for kidnapping her, and it was like a dam had burst.

She had appreciated the apologies and concern at first, but at this point, it seemed more for his sake than for hers. No amount of reassurance on her end was enough to ease his guilt.

Still, a part of her was impressed by his effort. As much as it was grating on her nerves, at least he wasn't trying to pretend like everything was perfectly fine between the two of them.

"Sorry to bother you."

She could picture the puppy dog eyes and the downcast face to match the somber voice that carried through her door.

She sighed again and went to the door but didn't open it.

"Nothing you say or do will change the past, Axel."

"I know that. More than anyone."

She put a hand around the doorknob and cracked it open, ever so slightly. The deep regret in his eyes seemed sincere enough.

She opened the door wider and spoke.

"You can't change the past, but the future's still open. Prove to me that you've changed. Prove that you deserve to fight alongside my friends. Trust isn't given, it's earned."

"Tell me how," he said. "What do I have to do? I already said I was sorry, what else should I—"

Something about his words irked her.

"Well, here's a start: stop apologizing to me all the time and hoping it'll be enough!"

She slammed the door in his face.

It felt good, for all of about seven seconds.

She opened the door again when the regret kicked in.

He was still there.

"Sorry, that was stupid of me."

"Can't say I didn't deserve it."

Kairi raked a hand through her hair in frustration.

"Ugh, that has got to go. The self-pity, the wallowing in guilt. Get over yourself and focus on other people for once!"

"Sorry, Kairi. You're right."

He admitted it?

She stared at him in shock.

He rolled his eyes. "C'mon, don't act so surprised. I'm not as stubborn as you think."

"You're still pretty stubborn."

"Not as stubborn as you."

"Get out."

"See? You're proving my point. And I can't get out if I haven't—"

She slammed the door again and locked it.

No regrets this time around.

Merlin's voice echoed down the hall outside. "What's all that racket? I'm trying to get some sleep here." A pause. "Oh, it's just you, Lea. Don't you have something better to do than bother Kairi?"

"B-bother?"

"Yes, bother. That's the second time she's slammed the door in the past minute and a half. She's a well-mannered young lady who isn't used to rogues like yourself. She wouldn't have slammed the door without provocation."

Kairi was practically cackling. Oh, she knew her manners and she knew how to act the part of a lady. But she could also rough it with the best of them. Growing up on an island with two boys for best friends had made sure of that.

"Don't you hear her?" Axel demanded indignantly. "She's laughing! If that doesn't make her at least partly guilty, then—"

"Nonsense. If she's laughing, it's because you're getting the come-uppance you deserve. Now go to bed. And as punishment for your behavior tonight, please clean the storage room after training tomorrow."

"The storage room? I won't come out alive."

"Don't be such a 'drama llama.' Great phrase, isn't it? Picked it up on my most recent travels. Anyway, I can guarantee that nothing in the storage room will kill you. All of my concoctions of that variety are under tight lock and key."

"Oh, great. I won't die. How reassuring."

"Off to bed with you."

"Goodnight, Gramps."

"G-gramps?" Merlin sputtered. "Gramps!? I'll show you who's Gramps!"

There was a crackling sound, and Axel shrieked. Kairi couldn't take the suspense. She opened the door to see a wrinkly, gray-haired figure with a slight hunch in his back. Oh, and Merlin too.

She had to do a double take to confirm that yes, it was indeed Axel standing next to him, magically aged by about fifty years. It was an unusual sight indeed, seeing Axel with silver hair and wrinkles. But she would recognize those green eyes anywhere.

"What did you do to me?" Axel cried, clutching his face.

"Don't worry, it'll wear off by the morning."

Axel looked like he was about to say something, then thought better of it and stormed down the hall to his room as Kairi and Merlin watched.

"He'll make a spry old man indeed," Merlin noted.

"Don't you think that was a little harsh?" Kairi asked, wincing as Axel slammed the door.

"Perhaps," Merlin replied, "but he needs to learn respect. Especially when it comes to personal boundaries. That's why you slammed your door, isn't it?"

She nodded.

"Then I rest my case. But do try to avoid slamming it in the future. Goodnight, my dear."

"G-goodnight."

Kairi could only stare as Merlin disappeared down the hall, the lights going off one by one in his wake.

What kind of situation had she stumbled into, anyway?

A hot-tempered former assassin, a slightly crazy old wizard, and a Keyblade-wielding princess, all living together in the same house. She couldn't make this stuff up if she tried. She shook her head and smiled, closed the door, and turned off the light.

oOo

Just as Merlin had promised, Axel was back to normal the next day. Physically, at least. His manner was an entirely different matter. Something had come over him. He was quieter than he'd ever been. For someone who usually wouldn't shut up, it was a drastic change.

Kairi felt bad about his punishment, as she felt she was at least partly to blame. As uneasy as the thought of spending time alone with him made her, she still offered to help him clean the storage room after training that night. He refused.

"Merlin's right. If I hadn't bothered you, you never would have slammed your door."

He didn't reemerge until hours later, long after dinner and a little while after Merlin had gone to bed. He slunk into his room without so much as a word to anyone.

She lightly tapped on his door.

No answer.

"I… I brought you dinner," she said, carefully balancing the plate of shepherd's pie she'd set aside for him.

Still no answer. She sighed and set the plate down on the floor. "I'll just… leave it here for you."

When she was halfway down the hall, his door cracked open. The plate quickly disappeared, and the door closed.

Well, at least he hadn't lost his appetite.

oOo

The following day proved that Axel's behavior wasn't just a fluke. He was still oddly quiet, though he did thank her for dinner. He also started sighing frequently.

She was beginning to wonder if something was wrong with him.

By the third day, she couldn't take it any more. On top of the sighing, he'd started staring at her, as if he was trying to see something that wasn't quite there.

"Is something wrong?" she asked after training that day. "You were really distracted today."

Even Merlin had noticed. Despite her improvement, she'd still gotten hit by a couple of the Keyblades he'd accidentally thrown her way, when just the day before he'd been much more careful. His lack of focus had ground their progress to a halt.

"No, sorry—"

She instinctively tensed up and glared.

He waved his arms in the air and shook his head. "I'm not apologizing for kidnapping you this time, okay? I'm apologizing for—"

She raised an eyebrow. "For being creepy?"

"Right. For being creepy. Geez, Kairi, cut me some slack. I'm trying, okay?"

It was her turn to sigh. "I know."

She had to give him that. As misguided as his attempts were, at least he was sincere.

Maybe… maybe it had been so long since he'd been human that he didn't know how to treat people anymore.

"You were a Nobody for a long time. I get that," she added.

He frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, you lost your heart. That would mess anyone up."

He gave her a rueful smile and shook his head. "Says the girl who lost her body."

Her hand instinctively went to the necklace around her neck. "I got lucky."

"Yeah, you found lodging in the Sora Heart Hotel." He chuckled at his own joke, but then a deep sadness overtook his expression. "Tell me, Kairi. What do you think it would take to get Roxas out too?"

At the mention of Sora's Nobody, Kairi stiffened. She didn't want to think about what Sora would have to do to bring back Roxas, if it was even possible. Sora had been desperate and out of options when he'd saved her, surely he could find a way to save everyone in his heart without… without…

Unfortunately, Sora was exactly the kind of person who would put everyone else's wellbeing before his own. And while it was one of the things she loved the most about him, she was also terrified it was going to get him killed.

If there was no other way for Sora to restore Roxas and the others than to sacrifice himself, Kairi knew what he'd do.

She just hoped she'd be there to save him again.

"I know Sora will do the right thing. I believe in him."

"Aren't you afraid of losing him?"

Kairi paused. The cold, clammy feeling that had just clamped onto her heart was answer enough.

"Of course I am. I nearly did, and I—I almost—" She had to stop, to swallow the lump in her throat. Of all the people to lose her composure around…

But Axel surprised her. Instead of mocking her, his eyes filled with compassion. He reached a tentative hand forward, then dropped it to his side again. The gesture did not go unnoticed, and it was enough to help Kairi find her voice again.

"He… he's got important work to do. And I know he'll always come back to me."

"But don't you miss him?"

If only he knew. She missed him every day. Just when they'd finally been reunited, he'd been called off on another adventure. She'd understood, and she'd given him her blessing. But that didn't make their separation any easier.

"I do. But that makes the time we do have together all that more special. And when I do see him again, I'll—"

Axel shook his head and smiled. "No need to say. Just… never take your friends for granted, alright?"

Kairi nodded. Satisfied with her response, Axel went to his room.

What had prompted _that_?

Kairi stared down the hall, deep in thought.

She didn't hear Merlin calling her until the third time he'd said her name, this time waving his hand in her face.

"Kairi?"

She shook her head to clear it. "Sorry."

He examined her closely. "It's alright. For a while there, I thought you might have gotten into one of my potions."

"Oh…" She frowned, wondering just what kind of potions he had.

"Is something on your mind?"

"Yeah." Then it came back to her. "I… Oh, that's right! You said you'd tell me more about King Arthur tonight!"

She'd been looking forward to it, only to be distracted by Axel's strange behavior.

The old wizard smiled and nodded. "Yes, I did. Let's see, I already told you about Wart's childhood, right?"

She nodded, smiling at the fond memory.

"Well, follow me. I think you're ready to hear about Jenny."

Kairi followed him back into the main room as he transformed it into a cozy sitting room with a big fluffy rug and couches and blankets and best of all, a warm, crackling fire in the fireplace that had appeared against the wall.

A cup of Merlin's special tea floated into her hands, and she took a deep sip and sighed, curling up on the big blue couch as Merlin sat on the green one opposite her. One of the blankets wrapped itself around her, and she waited patiently for him to begin.

"So now we have come to Jenny. Most fair of complexion, most beautiful of countenance, most radiant of smiles. She could cheer anyone up with just a few words. She had a wickedly funny sense of humor, too. A truly special young lady."

"But who was she?"

"Oh, she had many names. The White Enchantress. Lady of the Round Table. Guinevere, the Queen of Camelot."

Kairi's breath caught in her throat. Had they finally gotten to—

Merlin smiled. "Yes, my dear. She was the woman Arthur loved."

Finally. Kairi had waited for years for this. She listened intently as Merlin began the tale.

She'd always loved stories. Finding out there was more to one of her childhood favorites was the best sort of surprise.

She sighed in contentment and gazed into the fire, watching it come alive with Merlin's magic, which reenacted the scenes from his story.

The only thing that would have made this better was if Sora were here, snuggled up beside her. As much of a romantic as he was, he would love Merlin's story too, she just knew it.

Oh well, she'd just have to remember all of the details so she could tell him later. She made a mental note to write it all down in her diary, and floated off into the world of her imagination, with Merlin's voice as her guide.

oOo

Dear Sora,

Axel's been less insufferable lately. I think Merlin's trying to teach him how to be a decent human being, and it might actually be working.

Sorry, that was mean. Axel really has been better since he stopped apologizing to me all the time. I think he's realized that while I won't take any crap from him, he also doesn't have to walk around eggshells around me. It's really made a difference.

Oh, and Merlin told me more about King Arthur! The way he and Queen Guinevere met and fell in love… I was going to write to you about it, but it's so much better if you hear it in person. If you can't hear it from Merlin, I'll tell you the story myself. You'd love it, I know you would.

Anyway, as my life settles into a new routine, I wonder how you're doing – who you've met, what you've seen. It's not that my life isn't interesting, because it certainly is, in a comedy-of-errors sort of way. But to be on a real adventure, going from world to world – I'd love that. If I'm being completely honest, I'm a little jealous. I hope I can join you someday.

Until then, I'll keep praying for your safe return to me, as always.

Yours truly,

Kairi

oOo

A/N: Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4 - Training

Chapter 4 - Training

"Alright, are you two in position?"

Merlin craned his neck to see if they were ready from his perch high up on the wall. The three fairies, sometimes present at their training sessions, were away on an errand. In the meantime, Merlin had summoned a swamp filled with the appropriate flora and fauna, complete with suspicious gurgling noises. Kairi and Axel stood on one of two patches of dry solid ground. The rest was nearly impossible to make out, with all of the trees blocking their view.

Oh, and the fact that he'd turned them both into frogs.

Axel had somehow kept his fiery red hair, which contrasted brilliantly with his now-green skin. Kairi suspected she looked similar. Effective camouflage would be out of the question, so that means of getting past the various threats that loomed before them was not an option.

She would have thought the whole thing was hilarious if it wasn't so pointless. They were supposed to get to the other patch of dry ground on the other side of the room. What on earth did that have to do with learning how to fight?

"Are you two ready?" Merlin repeated.

"Yeah, yeah," Axel replied. He flicked his tongue out to catch a nearby fly.

"Ewwww, gross!" Kairi made a face as he swallowed the insect.

Axel attempted a shrug, but the effect wasn't quite the same without shoulders. "We're frogs, Kairi. Might as well get used to it."

Ugh, she would not. She was human, and no amount of shape shifting would get her to act otherwise.

It's not that she disliked frogs; in fact, she and Riku and Sora had spent a good deal of time as children catching them at the pool near the Secret Place. She just didn't want to _be_ one.

"Start!" Merlin cried, interrupting her thoughts and disappearing with a puff of air from his spot on the wall.

Kairi scanned the murky water in front of them. She could swim, but who knows what creatures lurked underneath the surface. It would be safer to just hop from tree to tree, using the floating logs when need be.

Problem was, she had no idea how to move as a frog.

She tried stepping forward with her right front leg. So far, so good. Then her left front leg. She ended up sprawled on her stomach, frog limbs splayed everywhere.

"Here, Kairi, like this." Axel demonstrated how to move. She carefully copied the way he alternated movement between his front and back legs.

"There, that's it. Now try jumping."

She bunched her back legs up underneath her, coiling herself like a spring. She pushed off, and… didn't quite nail the landing, and fell flat on her belly again instead. Axel cracked up at her failure.

It wasn't a big deal on its own, but on top of everything else, it was just enough to make her snap.

"That's it!" she fumed. "I don't want your help."

His green eyes widened as he realized what he'd done. "I'm sorry, Kairi, I shouldn't have—"

"Leave me alone!" She wanted to storm off, but instead she ambled away, slowly inching closer to the edge of the water.

The effect just wasn't the same.

The nearest log was too far to reach by jumping, especially with the current state of her abilities. She sighed and pushed herself into the water, hoping that Merlin would rescue her in time if some snake or fish decided she'd make a good snack.

Swimming was a lot easier than walking. Growing up near the sea had its benefits, and swimming as a frog wasn't all that different from the breaststroke Sora and Riku had taught her when they were little. Maybe she should just swim all the way to the other side, dangerous or not.

"Kairi, look out!" Axel just barely missed landing on her as he plunged into the water beside her.

"What was that for?" she demanded, limbs flailing as she tried to move herself around in the water to face him.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe there was a big old fish that was trying to eat you?"

Kairi ground her tiny frog teeth in frustration. "Ugh, this whole thing is pointless!"

Axel sighed. "I'm beginning to agree with you."

Suddenly, Merlin appeared, sitting on the log in front of them with his arms crossed.

"Now, that won't do, that won't do at all." He waved his wand, and Kairi and Axel flew through the air, landing with a loud _PLOP_ on the log beside him.

"Blithering buckles, why would you think I'm wasting your time? Every part of my training is necessary, and I'm insulted that you think otherwise. Furthermore, you have both completely missed the point of this exercise. I want you to think about why I've assigned you this task, and how you might complete it together."

It was all too much. The rigorous training of the last several days, combined with Axel laughing at her, Merlin's reprimand, and her own sense of failure, was enough to finally get to her. She hung her head in shame, blinking rapidly to hold back the tears.

"I-I'm sorry," she croaked.

His expression softened. With another flick of his wrist, the swamp around them disappeared, and they were back to normal.

"Much better," Axel said, stretching his neck from side to side. Merlin turned his full attention on Kairi.

"Kairi, my dear, why are you here?"

Kairi gave him a puzzled look. What did he mean, why was she here? The answer was obvious.

"To learn how to fight," she said.

That was the correct answer, right? What else would it be?

"And why do you want to learn how to fight?" The intense, probing look in his eyes unsettled her.

"I-I want to help my friends."

Merlin leaned back and smiled. "A very noble desire indeed. But if I may ask, why do your friends need help? What is the point of a Princess of Heart such as yourself, having such power to heal and restore, in knowing how to harm and destroy?"

Oh. She hadn't really thought of it like that before.

Merlin waited.

"I guess – if I'm being honest, they don't really need me to fight, do they?" She didn't like where this was going, but she couldn't bring herself to hide the truth from the old wizard. "They never did before, after all."

He said nothing.

"I just – I-I don't want to be left behind anymore," she whispered, hanging her head.

"Aha! She admits it." Merlin exclaimed to no one in particular. Then he turned his attention back to his trainee. "My dear, not wanting to be alone, while a very natural and understandable fear, is not a good reason to fight. We must help you focus on other, better reasons. Otherwise Xehanort will be able to easily use your fear against you." He looked at Axel. "Lea, my boy, why do you fight?"

Axel shrugged. "That's easy. I want to see my friends again."

"Would you start a war if it meant you could see them again?"

The redhead narrowed his eyes. "This is some kind of test, isn't it?"

Merlin waved his hands in the air. "That is neither here nor there. But I suggest you answer honestly, like Kairi has."

Without hesitation, Axel replied. "Yeah. I'd do it in a heartbeat if it meant I'd get to see them again." His laughter was empty. "I guess I kind of already did, in a way."

Merlin nodded. "But why do you want to see them again badly enough that you would start a war, Lea? Is it for their sake, or for yours?"

"It's – it's mainly for my sake. I'm selfish, I know." Axel sighed.

Merlin's expression became very somber. "Listen, both of you. This is very important. You should never start a fight yourself. The only reason to fight is if someone else starts it, and then you know you have a duty to stop them."

"Well, I'd say that in spite of my checkered past, I think I've still got the moral high ground compared to Mr. Body Snatcher and Life Ruiner," Axel muttered out of the side of his mouth, more to Kairi than to Merlin. She had to choke back a laugh in spite of herself, which did not go unnoticed. Axel cracked a grin in response.

Merlin was not nearly so amused. "I am serious, Lea. None of this ever would have happened if Xehanort hadn't started it."

"But we can stop him. No, it's our duty to stop him," Kairi said.

Merlin smiled at her. "Yes, my dear, that's the idea."

Axel shook his head. "Sorry, but duty isn't good enough for me. I need a better reason than that."

"You already do. It may be buried beneath several layers of 'selfishness,' as you called it, but it exists all the same, Lea."

Axel raised his eyebrows.

"Duty is but one expression of it. Why do people have a sense of duty?" Merlin asked.

The redhead rolled his eyes. "Because they feel like they have to do what's right."

"Why do they feel that way?"

Running a hand through his hair, Axel said, "I dunno, old man, I'm the last person you should be talking to about morality."

Merlin tensed at the appellation, but Axel's _oh crap_ face was enough to prevent his wrath. He turned to Kairi instead. "Kairi, what do you think?"

She frowned, carefully choosing her next words. "Well, it's because they want other people to treat them well too, right?"

"Exactly! But can you think of any other reasons?"

"Any other reasons?" she repeated, not sure what he was really asking.

"Yes. Any reasons that aren't so focused on the self, that is?"

She took her time in answering his question. "I guess… you can also want what's best for someone, not just for your sake, but for theirs."

Merlin waved his arms in the air excitedly. "Aha! That's exactly right, my dear. And why is that?"

Suddenly, it all made sense. It was like a light bulb had gone off in her head.

"If you truly care about someone, then putting them before yourself comes naturally."

She thought of Sora, and Riku, and all the times they'd put themselves in danger to protect her and each other.

One moment in particular played over and over in her head though. Sora's sacrifice, and the aftermath of it, would forever be burned into her memory.

The old wizard was so happy, he looked about ready to burst.

"Yes!" He was practically jumping up and down. "By George, she's got it! Do you see now, Lea? Your duty to protect those you care about, how's that for a reason?"

"Isn't that what I said in the beginning?" Axel asked, scratching his head.

"Not quite. Earlier, you realized you fight for your friends mainly for your own sake. You must learn to fight for their sake, too. Only then will your heart be strong enough to withstand whatever Xehanort may throw at it."

Kairi nodded enthusiastically, while Axel seemed to have slightly warmed to the idea.

"Good. Now that we've cleared that up, you two still have a job to finish."

They both groaned as the swamp reformed around them and they shrank back into frogs.

Oh well. At least she would have a lot to write to Sora about tonight.

oOo

Dear Sora,

Today was strange. Merlin turned us into frogs and told us we had to get to the other end of this swamp he'd made. It took hours but we finally did it.

I think the whole thing was really just an excuse to get Axel and I to work together though. As you've probably figured out by now, we haven't been on the best terms since I came here, but after today, things felt a little different. He looked hilarious as a frog, and I'm sure I did too. Red hair and green skin is one heck of a combination.

Oh, and Merlin talked to us about our reasons for fighting. Basically he believes that we shouldn't start fights, but we should defend ourselves if attacked. And that we need a good reason for fighting as well as a strong heart; otherwise our enemies will be able to exploit our weaknesses.

He made me really think about why I want to fight. Part of it's because I don't want to be left behind, but I also really do want to help. I have these abilities for a reason, and I want to put them to good use.

You and Riku have always gone out of your way to protect me, and it's time I did the same. I'm sick of watching you two get hurt for my sake.

Oh, and this was back before I started training, but I also heard about what Master Aqua did to keep her friends safe. Her story has inspired me to get better, stronger. I hope we get to meet again soon. Did I ever tell you? I met her too, before I came to Destiny Islands.

K, I'm exhausted, so I'll talk to you later.

Yours truly,

Kairi

oOo

"Xehanort's gonna attack us with… cakes? This is our test?"

Kairi stood, dumbfounded, at the sight in front of her. Spread throughout the room was several dozen cakes. Or, at least what she assumed were cakes. It was hard to tell, but she thought she could make out layers in a few of them. Each… cake was propped up with a broom, icing slowly oozing down the handles as she and Axel watched. It was a very unsettling sight, all things considered. If they waited much longer, the cakes were all going to end up as lumpy piles on the floor.

"Kairi, I'm not sure those are really cakes," Axel leaned over and whispered. "Have they even been baked yet?"

She shook her head. "I don't think so."

"So, um, why do you think…"

"There's gotta be some sort of trick to it, right?"

Axel nodded. "Right. Maybe it's the brooms."

Kairi summoned her Keyblade and cautiously walked to the nearest cake. Bracing herself for who knows what, she tapped the only part of the broom that was still visible and winced.

Nothing happened. She turned back to Axel and shrugged.

He frowned. "Try hitting it harder."

She did. Still nothing. And now her Keyblade was covered in blue and white icing with some green thrown in too. She sighed, wiping it against her leg.

"Here, let me try."

Kairi moved out of the way just in time for Axel to throw his Keyblade square at the broom. She'd gotten much faster at dodging his throws.

His Keyblade hit the broom at just the right angle to send it flying, though, which in turn flung bits of cake batter and icing everywhere, including all over Kairi.

"Axxxxel!" she ground out, wiping blue and green icing from her eyes.

"Sorry!"

They didn't have time to argue, though, because something popped out of the cake.

It was a small, bat-like creature. It had the most bizarre coloring Kairi had ever seen in an animal, rainbow-colored fur with incandescent wings. Its eyes were x-shaped, and constantly changing colors. Surely it couldn't be natural.

She had to admit, though, it was kind of cute, in a weird way.

At least until it took a flying swoop at Axel. He went sprawling as they both shrieked in surprise.

"Kairi, help! Get it off me!" he yelled, voice muffled as he struggled to remove the creature from his face. It was putting up quite a fight.

"Right, sorry!" She ran over and gave it a good whack. Hard enough to knock it off, but not hard enough to seriously hurt it.

Axel struggled to his feet, chasing after the little monster.

"Axel don't!" she cried, right before he was about to deal it a deathblow. He stopped in his tracks.

"It doesn't know any better," she explained. "There's no need to kill it!"

He gave her a look. "Are you kidding? Did you see what it did to my face?"

Sure enough, there were scratches all over his face, some of which were even bleeding.

"Does it look as bad as it feels?"

"Um, n-no."

"Liar."

Kairi put her face in her palm. "That doesn't mean you should kill it! Besides, take a look at the room around you." She gestured at the cakes and brooms and icing all throughout the room. "Do you really think it's the only one of its kind? There's probably a creature inside of each one of these cakes."

"Yeah, yeah, and killing this one will probably piss the rest of them off."

"Exactly."

"So what would you suggest, that we catch all of them? How?"

Kairi scanned the room for ideas. The cakes themselves wouldn't help much, but each cake came in a pan that looked like it was just the right size to hold one of the creatures.

"We'll have to trap each one of them under the cake pans."

Axel groaned. "That's gonna take _forever._ And how will we keep them from escaping once we've trapped them?"

Kairi blew a puff of air that sent her bangs flying. "I don't know, put a broom over each one?"

"Well, it's something. Not much of a plan, but better than nothing."

 _I don't hear_ you _coming up with anything._

"Or, I could just torch them all."

"Axel!"

"What? Fire magic's my specialty."

"I noticed."

Nez, the name Kairi decided to call the creature, decided to awaken one of his friends while she and Axel were talking. It dive-bombed Axel before retreating with Nez to the corner.

Axel snatched one of the cake pans and dumped its contents on the floor. Cake batter and icing mixed to form a sickly-looking ooze, and yet another creature was free in the room.

Sneaking up on where Nez and his buddy were hanging out, Axel said, "C'mere, you little…"

The two creatures squawked and split, heading towards opposite sides of the room as Axel yelled at them in frustration.

Kairi, meanwhile, focused her attention on catching the third creature, which she'd nicknamed Mori. Grabbing an already empty cake pan (she was learning from Axel's misadventures), she ran after the wayward animal, slipped on a patch of icing, and fell flat on her butt.

"This is going well," Axel remarked as he slid past her. He now had two pans in hand and managed to trap Mori between them with a loud CLANG.

"One down, too many to go," he muttered. Kairi winced as she stood up and wiped icing off her clothes.

Unfortunately, Axel's recent success had awakened even more of the creatures.

"This would be a lot easier if we could use magic."

"Yeah, well, you won't let me cast Fire on them."

Kairi chewed her lip. It was too bad she didn't know Stop or even Slow yet. And neither of those spells seemed liked Axel's style, or ones he even knew. Otherwise he probably would have used them by now.

Maybe they _should_ just attack them. But the thought of hurting the little creatures, even as aggressive as they were, didn't sit right with her.

Axel was well on his way to catching several more of them while she stood there, and if he could do it, so could she.

She sighed and pushed several strands of hair out of her face, going after Nez this time. She slipped around several times, and nearly faceplanted, but in the end, she finally grabbed him with her bare hands.

"Are you crazy?" Axel shouted.

Nez screeched and squawked and scratched, and it took most of her strength to keep him under control.

"Easy, boy." The little animal struggled violently against her. She waited, letting him run out of energy as he continued to fight against her.

When he was finally worn out, Kairi took a closer look.

The poor thing was trembling and gasping for air. She felt a surge of pity at the sight.

"There, there, I'm not gonna hurt you." She held him in one hand and used the other to stroke the rainbow fur on his belly.

Nez curled his little legs up and closed his eyes.

She raised an eyebrow. Could this be the key to defeating him?

She continued to pet the creature, and before she knew it, the little guy had fallen asleep in her hands.

"So that's the trick," Axel said from behind her. "Can't say I saw that coming. Well, guess it's time to make some new furry friends."

Kairi couldn't help but crack a smile at the way he said furry friends. She thought about him trying to keep one of the creatures as a pet, and the mental image was enough to keep her amused for hours.

It took ages, and they were both covered in cake and icing and scratches by the end of it, but they finally put all of the creatures to sleep.

The three fairies appeared as soon as they were finished, and with a flick of their wands, all of the cake and icing was gone, including what had previously been sticking to Axel and Kairi's hair and clothes. A follow up Cure spell took care of the rest.

"Well done, my dears," Fauna said.

"We wanted to see how you would defeat them," Merryweather added.

"You see, not all enemies need to be fought. And who you may think is an enemy, may not turn out to be one after all," Flora finished.

Kairi glanced at Axel. He quickly looked away as soon as their eyes met.

Merlin chose that moment to pop into the room.

"Congratulations, my pupils. You are ready to move on to the next stage of training."

"Finally," Axel muttered under his breath, saying what he and Kairi were both thinking. They'd had enough of frogs and cakes to last them both a lifetime.

Merlin gave them both a good handshake and then dismissed them. As Kairi turned to go, though, he put a hand on her shoulder.

"Kairi, my dear, may I have a word?"

"Sure."

"Why didn't you attack the creatures?"

She frowned, deep in thought. "I don't really know. It's hard to explain, but they didn't _seem_ evil. Just… scared, I guess. It didn't seem right to hurt them."

Merlin nodded sagely. "Pay attention to your instincts, Kairi. I believe you have an ability few possess."

Her eyes went wide. "You mean, you think I can sense if someone, or something, is trying to hurt me? Or… if they're evil?"

Merlin frowned. "I don't think it's quite that black and white, my dear. People are very rarely completely evil. Even the worst of us usually have some redeeming qualities. And while evil often lurks in darkness, darkness is not inherently evil."

His eyes took on a faraway look before he addressed her again.

"But yes, it would seem you can sense the darkness around you. It is a valuable ability that will prove very useful to you."

With that, she was dismissed.

oOo

Dear Sora,

Merlin thinks I have some sixth sense that lets me detect darkness, which I've suspected for a long time. He told me it "will prove very useful."

The way he talks sometimes, I wonder if he knows more than he's letting on. No, I know he knows more than he's letting on.

Why doesn't he tell me then? Would it make things worse if I knew what he knows? I trust him, of course, but I can't help but wonder what he isn't telling me.

How about you? Have you ever had someone who kept important information from you? And what did you do? I guess by the time you read this, it probably won't matter anymore, but I'm still curious.

Anyway, Axel and I spent several hours chasing after these little flying creatures. It got a lot easier once we figured out that scratching their bellies puts them to sleep.

Did I mention they were all inside these horrible looking, underbaked cakes? How could the poor things even breathe? I think Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather must not know how to make a cake properly.

The only other time I've ever gotten that dirty is when you and Riku and I made mud pies behind the school. Do you remember that? I got in so much trouble for ruining my clothes, and I was picking dirt grains out of my hair for weeks!

Oh, and Merlin said we're ready to move onto the next stage of training. Finally!

Will write more later!

Yours truly,

Kairi

oOo

A/N: I took inspiration from the Sword in the Stone, as well as the book it was originally based on (The Once and Future King by T.H. White) while writing this chapter. Merlin seems to get a kick out of turning Arthur into various animals to teach him, so I imagine he would do the same to Kairi and Lea. And the cakes from the Sleeping Beauty movie were too good of an opportunity for humor to pass up.

As always, hope you enjoyed the chapter, and thank you for reading!


	5. Chapter 5 - Attack

Chapter 5 - Attack

Kairi hurried through the streets of Radiant Garden as the sun sank low in the sky. It was all too easy to lose track of the time when she was with her grandma. Merlin would be worried if she wasn't back before dark, and the last thing she wanted was to—

"Ouch!" She tripped on a loose cobblestone and stumbled, her hands catching her fall.

Sighing, she sat down to examine the damage. Sure enough, she'd skinned her knees, and her hands felt funny from catching the brunt of the fall, but at least the injuries weren't too serious. Reaching into the pouch at her side, she pulled out a small flask and drank it, the green liquid rapidly healing the scrapes on her skin.

She tucked the empty flask away and stood up. The shadows were rapidly lengthening now. She didn't have much time left.

As she ran faster, she didn't see the dark creature lurking in the small alley to her right. But she felt it. A cold, sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach stopped her in her tracks. She turned this way and that, searching for the source of such an awful sensation.

There. It was barely indistinguishable from its surroundings, but its sinister red eyes gave it away.

It launched itself at her just as she summoned her Keyblade to block it. The creature staggered easily, and with a few hits, victory was hers. She waited for the familiar sight of a heart floating into the air, finally free from its dark prison. Emblem Heartless were the most common Heartless on Radiant Garden, after all, outnumbering their Pureblood relatives.

Instead, a dark flame rapidly engulfed her enemy.

…Maybe, maybe it had been a Pureblood after all?

But no, it couldn't have been. Purebloods always disappeared in a dark puff of smoke, not flame.

And Heartless had yellow eyes. Pureblood, Emblem, didn't matter. She silently thanked Merlin for making her slog through enough of his _Guide to 1001 Heartless_ to remember that.

It was possible this was some new version of Heartless they hadn't encountered yet. That alone was concerning, but there was something else she couldn't quite put her finger on, a nagging thought at the back of her head.

A deep sense of dread filled her heart.

 _That… wasn't like any Heartless I've ever seen. It didn't look like a Nobody, either._

But far more troubling, where had it even _come_ from?

 _Has it been following me? Then that means…_

An awful thought crossed her mind.

"Grandma!"

She raced back the way she'd come, barely paying any heed to her surroundings.

As fast as she was going, it still wasn't fast enough. She pushed her body harder. Her heart pounded and her breath came in short, panting huffs. Her lungs felt like they would explode, and her legs ached. The town around her melted away in a blur of color, the last rays of the sun casting an ethereal glow over everything as night drew ever closer.

But at last she arrived at her destination, wheezing as she leaned against a wall for support, not trusting her trembling legs to support her.

She gasped at the sight before her. Just as she'd feared, more of those small, dark creatures with their demonic red eyes swarmed outside of her grandma's house. The front door was ajar, and they—

She caught a glimpse of a brown shawl, partially hidden by the creatures surrounding it. Then an old wooden cane.

A gap opened, and there was her grandma's limp form, sprawled on the cobblestone pavement.

Her Keyblade was in her hand in an instant. She mercilessly attacked creature after creature, desperately trying to clear a path to her grandma, hoping against hope that she wasn't too late.

If she'd given herself time to think, she would have noticed the nagging sense of déjà vu that the strange creatures' sudden appearance had triggered. But there was no time to think, only act. Especially since their presence seemed to have attracted the Heartless, who far outnumbered them and were now the bigger threat. At least the Claymores had kicked in and had started zapping them.

Closer, closer, now she was right by her grandma. Crouching next to her still body, she touched two fingers to the old woman's throat, warding off the strange creatures and Heartless alike with her Keyblade.

Tears welled up in her eyes at the faint pulsing underneath her fingertips. She wasn't too late. There was still time.

But how was she supposed to carry her unconscious grandmother to safety? How could she possibly fend her relentless attackers off long enough for that to happen?

And she had to protect the townspeople from both the Heartless and whatever these otherthings were. She couldn't just leave such an infestation unchecked.

She fought them off, trying to think of a plan as she shielded her grandma from them as best as she could. She didn't even have a hand free to reach into her pouch for a potion.

 _I can't protect her when she can't even move on her own and continue to fight at the same time._

 _Someone, anyone…_

"Kairi!"

BOOM. A carefully aimed burst of flame snaked its way around her, followed by the very familiar sight of a Keyblade in flight. The double attack took out most of the Heartless around her in one fell swoop. The flickering remnants of powerful fire magic shone brilliantly against the evening sky as the Keyblade returned to the hand of its owner.

"Axel!" Kairi cried. "How did you—"

"No time to talk!" he shouted back as he raced towards her. He screeched to a halt when he took in the full scene. "Is that your grandma?!"

"Yes!" Finally free to focus her full attention on her, she scooped the old woman into her arms. "Please, Axel, get her away from here!"

Kairi struggled to stand, and Axel was at her side in an instant, effortlessly taking her grandmother from her and then adjusting the old woman's position so he could more easily carry her. Convinced that she'd be safe, Kairi grabbed her Keyblade and turned back to face the remaining monsters.

"But what about you?" he asked.

She whirled around. "I'll be fine. Please, Axel," she begged.

"Understood."

He raced away as Kairi turned to face the creatures again.

She tried a new sliding charge that Merlin had taught her, followed by a spin that sent the little beasts flying.

They weren't difficult to defeat individually, there were just so _many_ of them, and they just kept coming. The Claymores were helping, but they could only do so much.

 _At this rate, I'll tire out before…_

She sensed a dark portal opening up.

For a few seconds she panicked, thinking it was one of Xehanort's cronies out to get her…

But to her relief, familiar red hair and green eyes greeted her.

Then she realized what he'd done, and nearly dropped her Keyblade.

"But – you aren't wearing your cloak!"

Axel shrugged. "There wasn't – time – to get it," he huffed, striking one of the creatures in mid-air as it launched itself at him.

"AXEL!"

She couldn't believe he'd done something so reckless. As a Princess of Heart, she was immune from the effects of traveling through the Corridors of Darkness, but he was not. Riku had told her as much when she'd ask why so many people wore the same black cloaks.

The streetlights had come on, illuminating Axel's face just enough to show the sheen of sweat on his face. As much as he might try to hide it, summoning the corridor had clearly drained him.

"Don't worry, more help is on the way."

Well, that was great, but Kairi couldn't just drop the subject. Catching a good half dozen of their attackers in a spinning attack, she sighed and said, "Do you want to lose your heart again?"

WOOSH. His Keyblade zoomed through the air. "Not really," THWACK,"but I appreciate the concern."

SLASH. "This isn't a joke! I could have handled them for a little longer on my own—"

BOOM. The light from his latest Firara illuminated his face. "I know! I know. This isn't about that."

SLIDE, WACK. "Then what _is_ it about?"

"I can't—I can't lose anyone else."

She stopped and stared.

 _Did he really…_

"Kairi, look out!"

A shuriken whizzed through the air and took out a Heartless right before the miserable thing would have landed on her face.

"The Great Ninja Yuffie, here to help!"

Her enthusiastic backup couldn't have come at a better time. Kairi smiled as the young ninja cut through the swarming mass with a barrage of well-aimed shurikens.

"Lea, you're hurt!"

Aerith was there too, rushing over to where Axel had fallen when he'd tried to protect Kairi. Aerith's magic worked wonders, healing him and rejuvenating Kairi.

And Leon moved through the throng easily with his gunblade and powerful Firagas.

With the Radiant Garden Restoration Committee's help, the battle was much more manageable. There were a few close calls, but the enemy's numbers were dwindling.

Finally, _finally,_ Leon delivered the finishing blow to the last Heartless. "Piece of cake," he remarked, though he, like the rest of them, was panting for breath.

"M-hmmm."

Aerith wasn't one who was easily fooled.

"So, did anyone else notice the ones with red eyes?" Yuffie asked, tucking her weapon away. "It's weird, I know Heartless don't normally look like that, but I feel like I've seen them before."

Axel and Leon exchanged glances.

"You remember them, don't you?" Leon said.

"Yeah. But it's been years since I last saw them. I was still—"

That got Kairi's attention. "Years?"

Axel tilted his head, doing the necessary mental math. "Yeah. Let's see, how many would it be… Eleven? Twelve?"

Leon nodded. "Sounds about right. Aerith and I would've still been in our teens, and Yuffie would've been just a kid."

"Yes," Aerith said. "They weren't around for long. They showed up one day out of nowhere. Then they disappeared as soon as they'd appeared, and things were peaceful again. But not for long, because then Ansem started researching the Heartless."

"And the rest, as they say, is history," Yuffie finished.

"I think—I think I've seen them before too," Kairi said.

All eyes turned to her.

"My memories are foggy, but their eyes… they seem familiar."

Those eyes… red, shaped like tears, almost as if the creatures they belonged to were crying blood. No, she was almost certain she'd seen them before. Such a sight was difficult to forget.

Leon grunted. "Wouldn't surprise me. You used to live here, right?"

She nodded.

"We didn't know what they were at the time, but it's clear they're related to the Heartless. Probably a prototype of some kind," he said.

"But why are they coming back now?" Axel asked. "That's what's really bothering me. I mean, no one's seen these things in over ten years. They wouldn't just show up again for no reason."

Leon frowned. "I don't like where this is going. We have enough to deal with as it is with all the Heartless and Nobodies around here."

The town area was usually safe, especially with the protection of the Claymores. The Heartless and Nobodies mainly stuck around the edges of town and the old castle these days. But keeping them at bay had still kept the Restoration Committee busy.

"Do you think Xehanort might have something to do with it?" Aerith asked, her face filled with worry.

Leon sighed. "I hope not, but when have we ever been that lucky?"

"He's probably recruiting new hellions to torment us with as we speak," Axel muttered.

"Squall—"  
"Yuffie, how many times do I have to tell you not to—"

Yuffie ignored his interruption and continued. "Think we should ask Tron to add them to the warning system?"

The young man nodded. "Good idea, just in case they come back. We can also ask Tron to look up any data Ansem's computer might have on them. Mind tagging along? Normally, I'd go alone, but—"

"No problem! I'm on the job!"

Kairi picked up her grandma's shawl and cane.

"Is my grandma alright?" she asked Aerith. The young woman put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Merlin's with her now. Don't worry, I healed her injuries. She just needs some rest."

Kairi sighed in relief, the tears from earlier threatening to return. Aerith's expression softened.

"Let's get you home. I think we've all had enough excitement for tonight."

Merlin was there to greet them at the door. He wore an anxious expression on his face that immediately turned to relief at the sight of his student. "Kairi! Thank goodness you're alright." He nodded at the two people behind her. "Aerith, Lea, thank you."

Kairi threw her arms around the old wizard, a gesture that caught him off guard. He made a surprised sound before awkwardly patting her on the head.

"I'm sorry," she said.

He pulled away to give her a puzzled look. "Whatever are you apologizing for?"

"I was out too late. If I had come home earlier, then maybe the creatures wouldn't have followed me and attacked my grandma and—"

Merlin shook his head. "On the contrary. Your good timing saved her life. She's asleep, but she'll be alright." He motioned to a room Kairi hadn't noticed before, which, as she later discovered, had been created solely for her grandma's recovery.

Kairi raced over to where she lay sleeping. She'd never been so happy to see the steady rise and fall of her chest. She draped her shawl across her shoulders, and set her cane against the bedpost. Then she leaned over and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead.

"Goodnight," she whispered.

Aerith had brought in some fresh potions and medicine. She smiled at Kairi.

"Don't worry, she's in good hands. You get some rest, okay?"

Kairi nodded and returned to the Time Chamber. Axel and Merlin followed soon after, talking in low voices about what had happened.

It finally hit her, just how exhausted she was. She went straight to her room and slipped into her pajamas, and then brushed her teeth and washed her face. She was about to go to bed when she realized there was still something she had to do.

She opened her door as quietly as possible and snuck down the hall to Axel's door. Her soft knocking received no response.

Oh well. She'd just have to talk to him tomorrow.

When she turned to go, he was right behind her, eyebrows raised. She nearly jumped out of her skin at being snuck up on like that.

"Geez, you scared me. How long were you—"

"Some assassin I would have made, if I couldn't ambush people," he replied with a rueful grin.

Kairi frowned at the reminder of his dark past. But she'd come here for a reason, and she was determined to go through with her plan.

Fiddling with her hands, she finally said, "I didn't get the chance to earlier, so before I went to sleep, I-I wanted to say thank you. Without your help, I don't think I could have gotten my grandma to safety."

Axel's eyes went wide with surprise, his mouth slightly open.

"What? Credit where credit's due. She's the only connection to my past I have left. I couldn't bear to lose her like that."

"I-I'm glad I could help."

Kairi smiled. "I am too." She was silent for a moment. "You know, protecting people suits you a lot more than hurting them does."

Axel didn't say anything.

"Just… don't throw your own life away, okay?"

She turned to leave.

"Kairi."

His words got her attention. She turned around again and searched his face.

"Yes?"

He started to speak, then stopped.

"Ah, never mind."

She was oddly disappointed. "Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yeah. It's getting late, we should go to bed." He opened the door to his room when one last thought came to her.

"Did Merlin know what those creatures were?" she asked.

"He said he's never seen them before. Of course, his future is our past, so it isn't surprising." At Kairi's reaction, Axel raised an eyebrow and clarified. "You do know that he lives through time backwards, right?"

"He does!?"

"Yeah, didn't he ever tell you?"

Kairi thought hard. Ah, he had mentioned something the first day of training…

"Well, he did say he experiences time differently than us."

And it would explain how he just _knew_ things…

"That's an understatement. He knows what's gonna happen before it even happens, but he can't stop it from happening. He probably can't even tell us what's gonna happen, because then it would determine what happens. I'd go crazy if I had to live like that."

As the troubling implications of that revelation sunk in, Kairi spotted a silver lining. "But if he doesn't remember the creatures, that's good, right? It means they won't attack again."

"That he knows of. Kairi, you've got to be careful. If anything were to happen to you, it would be—"

Kairi sighed. It's what she'd heard, over and over and over. Be safe. We've got to keep you safe. Stay here and wait for us where it's safe. Stay far away from where all the excitement and adventure is happening because it isn't safe. If our enemies kidnap you again they'll use you against us, and Sora and Riku will probably team up and do something stupid to try to rescue you, and then they won't be safe. You're super duper special so if anything happens to you not even the worlds will be safe.

And the most infuriating of all, now that she was finally allowed to train: oh, we're not going to let you train like Sora and Riku did. You won't get to fight alongside them and learn as you go. Instead, you're going to be stuck inside a time bubble where you'll be safe.

She was tired of being treated like a porcelain doll, like a delicate thing that needed to be kept hidden away on a shelf, far out of reach of any danger. To be admired and cherished and adored but not allowed to leave, not allowed to go where she pleased or act on her own.

It was out of long pent-up frustration and with more force than was necessary that she interrupted Axel. "I know, I know. My life isn't the only thing at stake here. If it were, I wouldn't have waited—"

Axel shook his head, his voice earnest. "That's not what I meant. Princess of Heart or not, you're important, alright? You're you, and even if the fate of all the worlds wasn't tied to your life, we still couldn't afford to lose you."

Kairi's throat tightened at his unexpected sincerity.

"I-Thank you. Goodnight, Axel."

"Goodnight, Kairi."

oOo

Dear Sora,

I was exhausted last night, so I went straight to bed instead of writing to you.

On my way home yesterday, I noticed this strange creature with red eyes. I raced back to my grandma's house to find her unconscious and surrounded by more of the red-eyed creatures and swarms of Heartless.

I had no way of getting her to safety on my own, but Axel swooped in and saved the day. And not only that, he brought backup. The Restoration Committee came too, and with their help we took care of the creatures.

My grandma's resting, and I think she'll be alright, thank goodness. I hope I can check up on her soon. I'm worried sick about her. I've just gotten her back, and even thinking about losing her—

No. I won't let myself. She'll be okay, thanks to Aerith's magic and Axel's good timing. I owe them both big time.

Anyway, while we don't know what exactly the creatures are, they do seem a lot like Heartless. We all have vague memories of them, and Leon even called them Heartless prototypes.

But why they are coming back now, of all times? Is Xehanort behind their reappearance? It can't be a coincidence that they show up now, when we know he's probably recruiting all the help he can get.

Well, that's all for now. Hope you're having a nice, relaxed, not-dangerous romp through the worlds.

Wouldn't that be something? To go to a world and not have it swarming with Heartless or Nobodies, to just be able to enjoy it for what it is.

But that's what we're all working towards, right? Maybe, after all this is over, you and Riku and I can travel together like that, just the three of us. It's what we wanted when we built the raft, after all.

Yours truly,

Kairi

oOo

A/N: This chapter, as you might have guessed, sets up some important plot threads for upcoming chapters. It was a bit of a struggle to write, because I wanted to make sure all the details that needed to be included were, all while maintaining a natural balance and flow (hopefully I succeeded). The Restoration Committee members were fun to write though, especially Yuffie.

I've really enjoyed reading your reviews. Thank you for the feedback, and as always, thanks for reading!


	6. Chapter 6 - Forgiveness

Chapter 6 - Forgiveness

"What was that all about?"

"It seems his heart is stirring at last. He knows what Sora treasures the most, and the Unversed simply reacted accordingly. It's about time, too. Soon all of my preparations will be complete."

"Well yeah, but they could've blown our cover. We've been keeping tabs on the princess and Axel like you asked, and all it would take for them to connect the dots is—"

"Oh, is that what you're worried about? Don't be. Yen Sid and Merlin are almost certainly aware of the fact that we know where they are hiding her. That is not the concern here. There is no point in capturing her right now. What we will do is protect the identities of those yet to be gathered here."

"But what about the Unversed? Won't they figure out where they came from? The old coots will kill him before he can wake up, or have Sora do their dirty work for them. What will happen to all your grand plans then?"

"Those who remember him think he was destroyed. And while Yen Sid knows the name of the Unversed, not even he knows where they come from. He will just assume I am recruiting help from enemies long gone. Ventus is the only one who could possibly know their true source. We will have to work quickly once he awakes."

"Why don't we just take her now then? The more allies they gather, the more difficult it's gonna be for us."

"Now is not a good time. While they won't figure out who exactly was behind this attack, do you really think they will let the princess go out and about by herself? Axel will almost certainly be guarding her from now on. I can't afford to lose any of you to a fight you may not win."

"As if! You really think Axel would beat me?"

"Relax. It is better to wait for the opportune moment. When she is alone. When she thinks she's safe. Then, our chance will come. I want no risk of failure."

"Understood, boss."

"Good. Then you are dismissed."

oOo

The Restoration Committee was on high alert. Time continued to pass for those inside Merlin's time chamber, but scarcely a day had gone by in Radiant Garden.

Aerith tended to Kairi's grandmother as Tron added the strange creatures to the Claymore defense system. There were indeed records of them in the computer's files, carefully curated by Ansem the Wise himself, but not even he had known their true name. They took on many different appearances, much like the Heartless and the Nobodies.

But beyond that, there wasn't much information. Ansem had stopped caring about them soon after their disappearance and had focused on researching the Heartless instead. Some of his later notes did speculate that the Heartless were related to the creatures, like Leon had suspected, but that was all.

An announcement was made to the people of Radiant Garden to be on the lookout for more of them, complete with every known form the creatures might take, but so far, no other attacks had happened. Despite this, Kairi agreed to have a bodyguard accompany her for any future trips outside Merlin's home, at his insistence.

An uneasy calm settled over everyone as hour after hour went by after the attack. The residents of Radiant Garden were too used to being ambushed; their guard would never be fully let down, unless the Heartless and Nobodies were gone for good. But for those inside Merlin's time chamber, life returned to normal, and the events of the previous day had another, unexpected effect.

oOo

"Good work today, my students."

Merlin flicked his wrist, and the blue padding all over the room disappeared in a flash. Kairi rubbed her shoulder, which was sore from the funny way she'd fallen on it earlier.

"Here, my dear, this should help."

A well-placed healing spell worked its way through her achy limbs, making her feel better instantly.

"Thank you, Merlin."

She was exhausted, but nevertheless, she was long overdue for a check up on her grandma. Even though Merlin had reassured her that it had only been a few days in the real world, she still felt like she was slacking in her duties as a granddaughter, hoisting her responsibilities onto the ever-dutiful Aerith.

Taking a moment to straighten her clothes, she didn't notice Axel until he was right there.

"Yes, Axel? What is it?" She bent down to tie her shoe.

"Are you…?"

She straightened, letting her hair down and raking a hand through it.

"Are you… are you busy right now? I was gonna get some ice cream, and wanted to know if you'd like to come…"

He trailed off, studying her reaction and flinching.

"Well, I want to check on my grandma, but after that, sure."

"S-sure?" he stuttered in disbelief.

The words just sort of tumbled out of her mouth. "Sure, why not? What, did you think I wasn't going to say yes?"

To be honest, her answer had surprised herself as much as it had Axel.

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Well… yeah."

She shook her head and smiled. "Gimme a minute." She went to drop some things off in her room and grabbed her munny pouch, then followed Axel out of the Time Chamber.

"Oh, hello." Aerith emerged from Merlin's newly added-on kitchen to greet them, a big black pot in one hand and a spoon in the other. "You want to see your grandma Kairi, don't you? Sorry, but she's sleeping right now. Maybe try coming back in a couple hours?"

"Oh, okay." Kairi's face fell, but she didn't want to disturb her grandma. "Thank you, Aerith."

The young woman smiled and waved the spoon. "Anytime. She insisted that her recovery not distract you from your training."

Kairi shook her head. "That sounds just like her. Okay, I'll come back later."

Right as they were about to leave, Yuffie burst inside, coming dangerously close to nailing Axel in the face with the door.

"Hey, watch it!" He glared at her, but she ignored him and bounded over to where Radiant Garden's resident tech support sat.

"Cid?"

Cid didn't even turn around from the computer.

"What is it, Yuffie?" he grumbled, typing away.

"Can I use the Gummi Ship?"

That got him to stop and turn around, fixing her with a cold glare. "It's still broken from the last time you tried to fly it."

The young ninja scratched her cheek, chuckling nervously. "Drat, I forgot about that."

Cid sighed and readjusted his toothpick. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, Squall thought it might be a good idea to talk to Yen Sid—" She gestured enthusiastically, the way she always did when she was trying to explain something.

"Well, no rush then. Yen Sid isn't in his tower. He's off doing God knows what."

"How do you know?" Yuffie tilted her head to one side, clasping her hands behind her back.

"Mickey told Merlin before he left, who told me. Can't get in touch with Mickey either so long as he and Riku are in hell or wherever it is they went."

Kairi and Axel exchanged glances, trying not to laugh.

"How long do you think it'll be before you can fix the ship?" Yuffie asked.

"Dunno. We're missing a rare part, and you three have me running around like a chicken with its head cut off. Haven't had time to work on it."

"Bummer."

"I'd offer to go talk to him for you," Axel said, "but if he isn't even there, then there's no point."

Yuffie sighed. "Yeah. We were just gonna ask him about the proto-Heartless, but it can wait."

Cid scratched his chin. "Tell you what. I'll start fixing it tonight. It won't be operable 'till we get the rare part, but it's better than nothing."

"Thank you!" She threw her arms around the older man.

"Yuffie, how many times do I—oh, never mind."

oOo

It was late afternoon when Kairi and Axel finally emerged outside. Golden light reflected off the pavement of the street, warming the ground around them and causing her to blink rapidly as her eyes adjusted.

After countless hours in the chamber, a breath of fresh air and a sky full of sunlight were just what she needed. Her mood lifted considerably. Now, if only she could see the sea again…

"So, where are you taking me?" she asked presently.

"There's a shop in the marketplace that's got the best ice cream. Run by Scrooge McDuck."

"Scrooge McDuck? Is he…?"

"A duck? Yep. Think he's Donald's uncle even."

"Donald has an uncle?"

"Yeah, apparently. Wanted to seek his fortune in other worlds I guess, so he came here."

They went down a set of stairs and approached the shop. Sure enough, a duck wearing a top hat, spectacles, and a blue coat stood by it, attending to his customer.

"That'll be 200 munny." A young boy handed the old duck the necessary munny, to which he received a bar of light blue ice cream.

"Thank you, Mr. McDuck!" The boy scampered off, a big smile on his face.

Scrooge spotted the two of them and smiled. "Lea, my lad! It's been a while since ye've come to visit me."

"Yeah, well, what can I say?" Axel shrugged. "Training's been keeping me busy."

"As it should. And I heard about the return of those foul fiends. Any more run-ins with them?"

"Nope."

"That's a relief, laddie." The old duck turned to Kairi. "And who is this bonnie lassie that ye brought with ye today?"

"Oh, um, this is Kairi. She's a, she's a, uh—"

"A friend of Merlin's," Kairi finished, smiling as she shook the duck's outstretched wing. Axel's face fell ever so slightly at her words.

 _Sorry Axel._ She couldn't quite bring herself to call him a friend. Not just yet.

All the same, though, she couldn't deny that she enjoyed spending time with him now, otherwise she never would have agreed to get ice cream with him. It was a drastic change from when they had first started training, when everything he did had either grated on her nerves or made her question if she should really be training with him.

"Well, any friend of Merlin's is a friend of mine. So what will ye be havin'?"

"Two sea salt ice creams." Axel said. With a start, he turned to Kairi. "Oh, sorry. Is that what you want?"

"Sea salt's the blue one, right?" It was an unusual color, to be sure, but something about it seemed familiar. And that boy had really seemed to like it.

"Yep."

"Fine with me then." Kairi reached into her pouch for her munny.

"Don't worry about it. It's on me," Axel said, giving her a quick smile.

He turned back to Scrooge. "So, what'll that be? 400 munny?"

The old duck waved his cane around. "Ah, don't worry about it, lad. Today's ice cream is on the house. My treat," he added with a wink.

They thanked Scrooge and went on their way.

Axel led them through the cobblestone streets, weaving in and out of row after row of cottages. They went past the shops and past Merlin's house, towards the castle bailey.

The ruins of the castle wall were slowly being rebuilt, but in the meantime their dark purples and greys stood out starkly against the pink sky, the shadows they cast across the ground slowly but steadily lengthening as the sun sank lower in the sky.

And still they went on, going up and down stairs and working their way over broken walls.

When Kairi was worried her ice cream was going to melt, Axel finally stopped at the threshold of a small, wooden door. They were on the castle grounds now, and with a great effort he forced the door, rusty with disuse, to creak open.

"After you," he said, gesturing to the now open door.

Kairi ducked her head low and stepped through. The sight before her made her stop and stare.

What clearly used to be an enormous garden spread out before her. Even in its wild state, she could make out sunflowers, asters, azaleas, tulips, lilies, lilacs, daffodils… They were a sea of color swaying in the wind at her feet, the sweet scent from them mingling and wafting to her nose.

The wall on her left was covered in leafy ivy and morning glory, the tendrils slowly digging their way into the brick and mortar. A bench peeked out from the vines; a beautiful swan-shaped design carved into its back, the paint chipped and fading. The sound of bubbling water reached her ears, and she spotted a fountain near the center of the garden, surrounded by rusting rose trellises.

This place must have been breathtaking, back when it was regularly attended to. Even now, it still had a certain unkempt beauty, the way nature was slowly reclaiming what had once belonged to it. The sun setting in the distance cast a warm, ephemeral glow over everything, and the sky was alight with color, like an artist had taken his pastels and swept them across it.

"What do you think?" Axel's voice interrupted her trance. She moved aside to let him by.

"It's beautiful," she murmured.

Axel smiled. "My friend Isa and I used to come here all the time, back before, well, you know. In those days you had to sneak in here. It wasn't open to the public. But now, it looks like no one's really guarding it."

Axel's voice had a wistful tone to it that Kairi hadn't heard before. She couldn't help but wonder who Isa was and what had happened to him.

"Anyway, shall we?" Axel continued, gesturing to the bench. They sat down, and Kairi took her first bite of the ice cream as Axel watched.

"Well? How is it?"

The sweet taste of cream filled her mouth at the same time as the cool saline. The flavor was familiar, bringing back vague memories as it lingered on the tip of her tongue.

"It's delicious. I think I've had it before."

He nodded. "I thought you'd like it."

"It's sweet _and_ salty," she added, covering her mouth as she spoke.

He cracked a grin. "Just like you."

"Hey now," she replied, nudging him playfully. He laughed and took a bite of his own ice cream.

"You know, Kairi, when I first heard about you, I thought you were going to be boring. I mean, you don't have any darkness in your heart, so how could you relate to the rest of us? But I couldn't have been more wrong."

Kairi took another bite. "Is that a good thing?"

"Yeah. You doubt yourself, but you're brave to the point of being reckless. You're also caring, and would do anything to help your friends."

Kairi was stunned. She hadn't known what Axel really thought of her as a person. She'd just assumed he thought she was nothing more than a tool, then a reminder of his past misdeeds, then a reluctant ally, and then someone who needed protecting. Did he really mean what he said?

After a long moment, she found the words to express what she felt.

"You too, Axel. I thought you were just an evil, heartless killer, out to use me to torment Sora…"

Axel barked out a laugh. "Well, you weren't wrong."

"… but you've changed."

She gave him a smile before taking another bite.

He simply stared.

"What?" she asked, swallowing the latest chunk of ice cream. She wasn't sure how to feel about those green eyes boring into her.

He shook his head, red spikes going this way and that.

"You really have no idea, do you? The effect you have on people. Heh, no wonder he likes you. The poor kid didn't stand a chance."

Kairi's face flushed. "Who, Sora?"

Axel rolled his eyes. "Who else? You're perfect for each other, you know that? Your devotion is so nauseatingly sweet that it makes me want to puke." He made a gagging noise that sent Kairi into a fit of giggles.

"You really think so?" she asked when she finally caught her breath. She was nearing the end of her ice cream, a task she focused on intently in an effort to get her cheeks to return to their normal color.

"Yeah."

She considered her next words carefully. In the end, she decided to open up to Axel a bit more.

"It's just that… I haven't seen him much in the past year. I… I don't know if I really know him anymore. He's changed a lot, and I know I have too."

It felt good to get it out at last. She didn't realize how much she'd missed having a confidant. Selphie wasn't here, and this wasn't the kind of thing she could talk to Riku or Sora about, for obvious reasons.

Axel's eyes softened. "Is that what you're worried about? Trust me, Kairi, no matter what happens, Sora will always care about you."

"How… how do you know?"

Axel laughed and shook his head. "Do I really have to spell it out for you? He would die for you and you know it."

It was true, and heaven knows he had already proven it.

Axel continued. "Think about it like this. When you care about someone deeply, your love for them changes you forever, right? They become a part of your heart. It'd be easier for you to cut out a piece of yourself than it would be to forget what they mean to you."

Kairi thought of Sora and Riku, and how much she cared about them. She couldn't imagine her life without her two boys. And many others had joined their ranks. Each time she made a new friend, her heart grew to accommodate them; never once had it shrunk.

She couldn't help but wonder if the man speaking to her now had been similarly fortunate.

"What about you, Axel? Do you have any friends like that?"

He sighed, crossing his arms. "I did. I lost them all, because I was dumb." He gave her a sad smile. "I actually used to eat ice cream with Roxas like this after work. What I wouldn't give to have the chance to do it one more time."

His voice was so full of longing and regret that Kairi wanted to comfort him somehow.

"We'll find a way for you two to meet again," she said softly.

Axel raised an eyebrow. "Without turning Sora into a Heartless? Yeah, good luck with that."

She shook her head. "No, Sora will find a way to do it without losing himself. I'm sure of it. He would want Roxas to be his own person."

"How do you know that?"

"Because… because I feel the same way about Naminé. After she joined with me, I got her memories and feelings. She's a different person from me. She deserves to exist on her own."

Axel shook his head again incredulously. "You really are amazing, Kairi. I-I'm glad I met you."

Kairi was silent for a while, thoughtfully weighing her next words. She wanted to make sure they came from her heart.

"You too, Axel. I can't believe I'm saying this, and I know you may not believe me, but I… I don't hate you anymore."

His eyes went wide at her declaration.

"You don't?" he whispered.

She shook her head and smiled. "No. I haven't, not for a while. Maybe I never did. I was just… too hurt and scared to see it."

What Axel did next took her completely by surprise. He stood up and walked a little ways away from her. Then he turned around and lowered himself to the ground, touching his forehead to the dirt before her.

She dropped her remaining ice cream in shock. She couldn't believe what was happening.

"Kairi, I know I've said it before, but I'm sorry."

"Axel…"

Did he really think she wanted him to grovel at her feet like this?

An unexpected lump built up in her throat. She didn't think he'd go this far in proving his remorse.

His next words tumbled out of his mouth all at once.

"I never should have kidnapped you. My stupidity put you in great danger, and it was extremely selfish of me. I-I'm sorry, Kairi."

That was enough. She leaned down and put a hand on his shoulder. He looked up, and his green eyes searched hers for her reaction. She was struck by how very vulnerable he seemed right now. This was a very different man from the Axel she'd first met.

"It _was_ stupid of you, and selfish. And yes, it was also wrong. I had every right to be angry at you, and I was."

Axel's eyes shone with tears, and he hung his head.

Kairi wasn't done yet.

"But I forgive you."

He looked up again, mouth hanging open and eyes wide with shock. "You what?"

"You heard me. I forgive you."

She smiled to prove her words were true.

His voice was low and kept cracking when he finally spoke. "Kairi, you don't have to—"

"No, I don't. But I choose to."

She offered a hand and pulled him up. The transformation was instantaneous. He smiled, an honest, genuine smile that lit up his entire face. It was the first time Kairi had ever seen him smile like that.

 _This is what the real Axel, no, Lea, was like._ Before he'd become a killer, before he'd lost his heart, before the world had fallen to darkness.

 _I want to get to know you, the_ real _you,_ Kairi thought. _I think… we might even…_

But she was getting ahead of herself.

"Thank you," he said.

No more words were needed after that.

oOo

Dear Sora,

Today was pretty unexpected. We started out with training in the Time Chamber as usual. We're still focused on movement around the battlefield, because if Merlin's going to do something, he's going to do it right (his words, not mine). We're practicing different kinds of jumps and aerial movement now: high jumps, flips, air slides, barriers, etc., etc. It's a good thing he put padding all over the room. I don't think I've ever fallen so many times in my life. I don't know how you and Riku did it, figuring it out all on your own.

So far we've focused mainly on movement and defense. We've practiced physical attacks some, but we've hardly talked about magic at all. I know it's only been several weeks of real time, but for me it feels like it's been ages (good thing the Time Chamber doesn't affect aging, right?). I know I need to be patient, but I want to help now. And I'm not the only one. Axel's getting fidgety too, I can tell. Most of this is probably review for him anyway, and he wants to get to the stuff he doesn't know. If I'm impatient, he must be about out of his mind with boredom!

So anyway, by the time we finished for the day, I was exhausted. I was going to check up on my grandma when Axel surprised me. He asked me if I'd like to get ice cream with him. He's been really nice to me the past few sessions, to say nothing of how he risked his life to help my grandma the other day. It's been ages since he's last hit me with a poorly thrown (or would it be expertly thrown?) Keyblade too. I think he's really trying to make things right between the two of us.

So I said yes. I think my answer really surprised him. To be honest, it surprised me too. He didn't seem to know what to do for a few seconds afterwards, so I had to repeat myself. My grandma was asleep, so I didn't get to talk to her, but Aerith reassured me that she was recovering just fine.

We went to Scrooge McDuck's shop, the one across from the Moogle store. Axel was going to pay for my ice cream as well as his, but Scrooge insisted it was on the house.

So I had my first taste of sea salt ice cream in years. Have you ever had it before? It's delicious. Both sweet and salty. Axel said he always used to eat it with Roxas. He sounded so sad when he said it that I couldn't help but feel sorry for him. That's why he's fighting, isn't it? I hope they can eat ice cream together again soon.

Anyway, Axel also showed me one of his favorite spots. There's a (formerly) secret garden on the castle grounds that's absolutely beautiful. It's got row after row of sunflowers and asters and azaleas and tulips and lilies and lilacs and daffodils and… well, you get the idea. He said he and his friend Isa used to sneak inside all the time so they could hang out there. Now, no one really cares if you wander all over the castle grounds, so it's easy to get to, but I'd still like to take you.

And then he apologized to me. A down-on-his-knees, I'm-the-scum-of-the-earth level of apology. I was shocked. I mean, I could tell he was trying to make it up to me, but I wasn't exactly expecting groveling!

I can't hold my grudge against him any longer. If he keeps this up, we might even become friends. I'd never thought I'd say that, but there it is. That's not excusing what he did, but he's changed and he's trying to do the right thing. For that I can give him a chance.

After that, I got to talk to my grandma a bit before she fell asleep again! She's recovering rapidly, thanks to Aerith's good care. She said she tried to fight those creatures off, but that she isn't as young as she used to be, so she tripped and hit her head in the attempt.

Even though she says she'll be fine, I'm still worried about her concussion. Aerith and Merlin want to keep on eye on her mental state for a while before we move her back home, so she'll be staying at Merlin's house for the time being. I know she wants to go home, but a part of me is glad she'll be so close for a while still.

Anyway, time to sleep. I'll keep you updated on my progress as always!

Yours truly,

Kairi

oOo

A/N: When I started this story, I kept a few questions in mind. What would it take for Kairi to reach the point where she'd forgive Lea from her heart? What would he have to do to truly deserve that forgiveness? How would I let this subplot unfold in a way that felt natural?

This chapter is the culmination of my answers to those questions. It's also been one of my favorite ones to write so far. I knew I couldn't just rush my way to this point, hence the five chapters it took to get here. Writing the payoff was so very satisfying after all that buildup.

The story isn't over yet though. I mean, there are characters that still need to make an appearance, after all.

Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and thanks for reading!


	7. Chapter 7 - Friendship

Chapter 7 - Friendship

"Yes? What is it?"

"She's been spotted in the Realm of Light."

"Oh, I'm well aware. The sigil makes her easy enough to track. They just might make it to seven after all."

"What should we do?"

"Nothing, for now. Wait until they go to Castle Oblivion. She'll want to rescue him as soon as possible, and that is when we come in."

"Understood."

"Good. Then you are dismissed."

oOo

Thanks to Aerith, Kairi's grandmother had recovered to the point that she insisted on moving back home much faster than anyone had predicted. Kairi begged her to stay longer, but she wouldn't budge.

"It's my home, Kairi. I've had a long and full life. If my time is coming soon, I'd rather my life end there, where I spent so many happy years with our family, than at someone else's house, where I have long since overstayed my welcome."

"But Merlin doesn't mind!"

She gave her granddaughter a knowing look. "Of course he doesn't, but do you see how many people he has under his protection already? And what about Aerith? She's been taking such good care of me that I worry I've been a distraction from her other duties."

"A distraction? You're not a distraction!"

Kairi tried to get her overnight bag away from her. For a moment, she wasn't Kairi, Keyblade wielder and Princess of Heart. She was just Kairi, a small, scared girl begging her grandmother not to leave.

The older woman merely smiled and shook her head. "I'm only a stroll across town away. You can still come visit any time you'd like."

"But that's the thing. I don't know how much longer my training will last, and I might have to leave without any warning—"

Her grandmother placed her hands over Kairi's. "Even if we're separated, you know I'm always here, with you," she said, pointing at Kairi's heart. "The people you love stay in your heart forever, even long after they're gone."

"I know that. I'm just— I don't want to—"

Tears welled up in her eyes. She didn't want to think about losing her grandma for good.

 _C'mon, Kairi. You need to pull it together._

Understanding filled her grandma's expression. She handed Kairi her hankie and patted her comfortingly on the back as the teen wiped her eyes.

"This isn't what you're really upset about, is it? You know you can come see me anytime. You don't really mind me moving home. Merlin's set up a special defense system for me, and you know that. I'll be as safe as anyone in this town can be."

Kairi sniffed and nodded, trying to pull herself together.

"You've had too many people taken from you without any warning, and you're afraid it's going to happen again."

Kairi was dangerously close to losing it completely. Her grandma gently led her to Merlin's couch, and the two of them sat down.

"Did I ever tell you the story of how your grandfather and I met?" the older woman asked. Kairi shook her head. For all the stories she'd heard from her grandmother, somehow that one wasn't among their number.

The older woman settled back into the couch, clearing her throat before she began. "I was a fish out of water when I was your age. I didn't feel like I fit in anywhere. I was often lonely, and I spent hours reading stories from my father's books.

"Every year in May, there used to be a festival. And at that festival, all of the boys and girls would dance together. It was how we decided who to marry back in those days.

"But I was convinced no one would want me. I was quiet, and shy, and didn't have any friends, except for my sister. She was the opposite: funny and charming, and she could make friends with anyone. She had at least half a dozen suitors falling at her feet at any given moment."

The older woman smiled fondly at the memory and then continued. "She was convinced I was wrong about myself. She said she wanted everyone to know me the way she did. She took me to the tailor's to get a dress made. She did my hair herself, weaving in all the flowers we'd picked beforehand. She even taught me how to dance. She left no stone unturned in her quest to prove to the world, and to me, that I was worth befriending.

"Even after all of her hard work, I almost didn't go. But I knew how much it meant to her, so in the end I went."

Kairi had temporarily forgotten her tears and listened closely, which of course was her grandmother's intention all along. She continued her story.

"We got to the town square, and everyone just stared. I'd never wanted to hide so much in my life! But I'll also never forget what she said when I grabbed her hand: 'Don't think of them as strangers; think of them as friends you haven't met yet.'

"Her words gave me courage. Together, we talked to lots of people, and I laid the foundation for several great friendships that day. But then someone asked her to dance. I was standing there, all by myself, convinced that this was all a mistake, when a handsome young man tapped on my shoulder. I thought I was dreaming, but no, he wanted to dance with me. When I said yes, it was like someone else was speaking through me, someone much braver.

"That first dance was like something out of a storybook. I was nervous and had two left feet, but he just laughed and smiled and tripped right along with me. Then he asked for a second dance, and a third.

"Neither of us danced with anyone else the entire night. And that was when I knew. We started courting each other soon afterwards."

Kairi sighed, thinking about what it would be like to dance Sora like that. "What a romantic story. But… how come you haven't told me before?"

Her grandma's response was very serious. "It wasn't a story you were ready to hear, nor was I ready to tell it. I lost your grandfather shortly before you were born, and not a day goes by when I don't miss him. But if getting rid of my grief meant that I had to give up the time I had with him, I would choose the grief every time."

Now Kairi knew why her grandmother had waited to share her story until now.

"I—I understand," she said.

There was no point in living in fear of their eventual separation, especially when they could make new memories and cherish the time they still had together. Even though she still dreaded the inevitable, her grandmother's words gave her courage.

The older woman gave her granddaughter a quick kiss on the forehead. "Good. Treasure the time you have with the people you love, and you won't have any regrets."

oOo

Kairi moved her home that very day with Merlin's help. But before her grandma said goodbye, she had one more request.

After training the next day, Kairi struck up a conversation with her… Training partner? Ally? Future friend? — the exact nature of their relationship was still unclear — to fulfill that request.

"What's up, Kai?"

Kairi's lips twitched at the new nickname. She would have to come up with something good for him too.

"Nothing much, Red."

Axel raised his eyebrows. "Is that really the best you can do?"

"No. Don't worry, I'll think of something good."

Axel smirked. "I'm looking forward to it. But you still haven't answered my question."

"My grandma wants to thank you personally for saving her. She wants to have you over for dinner."

The redhead scratched his neck, shifting his weight from side to side. "That's really not necessary."

"She insisted."

"Well geez, I can't just go around turning down people's grandmother's invitations, now can I? What would everyone think?"

Kairi rolled her eyes. "They'd get over it."

Axel clutched a hand to his chest like she'd wounded him. "Would they though? Would they?"

"Pfffffff. Is tomorrow evening okay or not?"

Axel finally answered her seriously. "Yeah. It's not like I have much else to do."

oOo

Kairi, in dealing day in and day out with both the best and worst of Axel, had forgotten just how charming he could be.

Within minutes he'd completely won her grandma over, offering to help get dinner ready any way he knew how. It was largely unnecessary, seeing as how all that really remained to be done was to set the table and take the pie out of the oven, but her grandma was pleased by his helpful attitude nonetheless.

When the three of them were all seated at the table, the older woman cleared her throat.

"Before we dig in, I wanted to say thank you to the young man who saved my life and helped my granddaughter." Her eyes twinkled as she nodded at Axel.

But he rubbed the back of his neck, refusing to look her in the eye. "Please, ma'am. It was nothing."

The older woman raised an eyebrow. "Saving my life, and protecting my Kairi, whose safety is vital to the Realm of Light, is nothing?"

Axel shook his head, looking everywhere except at the two people he sat at the table with. "It was the right thing to do. I don't deserve any special thanks for that."

She placed her hand over his, and he jerked away, finally looking her in the eye.

"Surely you can recognize that your actions were praiseworthy? It was a very heroic thing that you did."

He shook his head. "You're wrong about me," he whispered. "I'm no hero."

She sat back in her chair, releasing him from her intense gaze at last. "Young man, I don't know all the details of your past. Perhaps you were as terrible as you think you were. But that is not why you are here at my home today. You are here because I wanted to thank you for the good you've done for my family."

Kairi glanced back and forth between her grandma and Axel. No one said anything, the silence hanging over the three of them like a dark cloud.

She couldn't take it anymore.

"Lea."

His eyes went wide at the sound of his true name.

"You called me by my name," he said in awe.

"Well, it's about time I got it memorized, right?" She pointed to her temple, like she'd seen him do so many times. The smile he gave her in return was as beautiful as it had been when she'd first seen it, and his eyes shone with tears.

"Lea," she said again, placing a comforting hand over his. "You know I've forgiven you. But I think—I think you haven't forgiven yourself."

His eyes went wide again, his mouth agape. Then he frowned and hung his head.

"Geez, Kairi. Have you always been this good at reading me?"

"You make it easy, the way you wear your heart on your sleeve."

Sora was similar. She'd never had trouble reading him, even when he tried to hide his feelings.

Her grandma smiled. "My Kairi has always been insightful."

"Must be some weird Princess of Heart thing," Lea joked. That finally broke the tension in the air. Kairi playfully nudged him, and he cracked a smile.

"A toast," Kairi's grandma said, raising her glass. "To new friends."

Kairi and Lea clinked their glasses against hers. "To new friends."

To her surprise, Kairi found that she could say those words and mean them completely now. Life really did have a funny way of working sometimes.

oOo

The following days settled into a routine. Training, visits to her grandma, and hanging out with Lea were how she spent most of her time. The strange creatures from before still hadn't come back, and for the residents of Radiant Garden, life returned to normal. Even the members of the Restoration Committee focused once more on rebuilding.

One day, her grandmother surprised her with a pitcher of lemonade and a picnic basket full of cookies, sandwiches, and apple tarts.

"See you later, Grandma!" Kairi called, closing the door behind her. Basket in hand, she smiled at Lea, who was carrying the pitcher and cups.

They headed to the usual place and had a lovely picnic. When they were finished eating, Lea sprung up from their spot by the water fountain with an idea.

"Hey, Kai."

"Yes, Flame On?"

He rolled his eyes. "Are you really gonna keep calling me that?"

She grinned mischievously. "Of course I am. Got it memorized?"

"Using my own catchphrase against me. How dare you."

"You going to do anything about it?"

"Ooooh, is that a challenge?"

"Maybe."

Lea shook his head and laughed. "You're still a tough one to predict."

"Good. So, what's up?"

He paced back and forth in front of her, making a big show of how he was making her wait. She rolled her eyes and pulled a magically shrinking book out of her pouch that Merlin had lent her, called _Keyblade Designs Across the Ages_ by someone named Nilrem the Great _._ It didn't exactly make for riveting reading, but it did have a lot of useful information, and the little tome came in handy for messing with Lea.

"I have a proposition to make. A proposal, if you will," he finally said.

"Oh? And what would that be?" she replied, without looking up from her book. She flipped to the next page, which was about water-based Keyblades. It was hard to tell the difference between Aqua Shock and Aqua Strike, especially since the owners were purportedly twins who had enjoyed tricking people into thinking they were one another.

Lea put a hand on the pages and forced the book down. "Ahem."

"Can I help you?"

"What would you say about exploring the Cavern of Remembrance?"

"The Cavern of Remembrance? Right now?"

Now he had her attention. She closed the book and stared up at him. "I'm all for adventure, but isn't it getting kind of late? Merlin'll be expecting us back soon. Besides, aren't the Heartless and Nobodies in there strong?"

"C'mon, Kai, don't be a killjoy. It's nothing the two of us can't handle."

The cavern did sound interesting, and she was always up for exploring, but…

"How far did you have in mind?"

"All the way to the top, of course."

She took a deep breath. "That sounds like it could take all day. How about the next time we have a break?"

"Fine. But I'm holding you to that, okay?"

They went back to Merlin's house soon after that.

In the last several weeks, Kairi had gained a shadow. A tall, green-eyed, red-headed shadow that liked to be around her at all times.

Sure, it was annoying sometimes, having him follow her everywhere, and more than once she'd told him off because she needed her space. But all the same, it was nice to have a new friend and confidant, and that went both ways.

"So that's who Saïx is. He's the Nobody of your friend Isa."

"Yup."

"I figured as much. I'm sorry, Lea. That really sucks."

"Yeah, tell me about it."

"He sounds like he used to be a nice guy. Too bad he turned into such a jerk."

"Yeah, but if there's hope for me, there's hope for him. I owe it to him to at least try."

"I don't know. You actually apologized for kidnapping me. And, you know, you've tried to make amends. He hasn't."

"Still…"

"Do you think you'll have to fight him?"

"Yeah. I wish I didn't, but I don't see how I can avoid it. We're on opposite sides now, after all."

Then there was the time he'd told her about what had happened with Roxas that had her tearing up near the end.

"Lea, I'm so sorry. I talked to him once. I wish I had known. I was so desperate to remember Sora that I wasn't thinking clearly and just brushed him off. If I could go back and talk to him again, I would."

She'd given Lea a hug that he hadn't quite expected, but had soon returned anyway.

And he'd turned out to be a surprisingly good listener. This had led to her telling him about how she'd felt when Destiny Islands fell, and taking refuge inside of Sora's heart, and then being restored to her body, only for Riku and Sora to disappear on her for a year.

"I'm sorry, Kai. I knew you'd had it rough, but hearing it straight from the source is a different story."

He'd initiated the hug that time, gently patting her on the head as she took in the comfort of someone who understood.

It was good to finally just talk to someone about all of this and process it. It had felt like Sora and Riku had just gotten back when they'd gotten that letter from the King and had left on their latest adventure. And she didn't always tell them what she really felt, because, well… it either involved one or both of them, or she didn't want to burden them with her own troubles when they already had so many of their own.

Merlin seemed to have noticed the change in Lea and Kairi's behavior towards one another. He made comments every now and then about how well they were working together now and what great progress they were making.

 _I guess all of those stupid exercises he made us do together paid off,_ Kairi thought, as frogs and cakes came to mind. _And I'm glad…. I'm glad I stuck it out._

Time, even as slowed down as it was, continued to pass, and day by day, Kairi's muscles grew stronger, and her movements became faster, and her technique improved. Her hard work was finally paying off. At long last, the day came when Merlin finally started teaching her magic.

oOo

Dear Sora,

It's been a while since I last wrote you. A lot has changed since then. For one, Lea and I have been hanging out together a lot lately.

Sora, he's so lonely. I can't believe I didn't notice before. Probably because I was so busy being pissed off at him (and for good reason – the kidnapping was horrible and all of those bruises hurt!). I think he must latch on to whatever friends he makes, because he's been following me around like a lost puppy lately. He even gave me a nickname. When he thinks I'm not looking, I'll catch him staring at me like he can't quite remember something. I wonder if I remind him of someone.

He told me about what happened to Isa, and then how he lost Roxas too. I can't blame him for having attachment issues, even if my newfound friend isn't always giving me the space I need. And now I know the story behind Saïx. I think Lea wants to help him, and maybe there's hope, but he was pretty horrible to me when I was imprisoned in The World That Never Was. I was so relieved to finally get away from him, and if I'm being honest, I'm still not feeling particularly merciful.

Lea found out about the diary, by the way. He teased me about it nonstop and tried to read it for a good five minutes until I managed to escape. I took it to Merlin right after that, who put an enchantment on it. So long as the spell is working properly, I think only the two of us can read it. It seems to be working so far, because when Lea tried to read it again he said it was blank.

As for training, we've made good progress. I finally started learning magic, by the way! I started out practicing the basics (Fire, Blizzard, Thunder) and now I'm focusing on more complex spells. And I can finally use Cure, thank goodness!

Once again, Lea knows how to use magic already, so while I was practicing the simple stuff, he was working on more complex spells. Firaga is clearly his favorite, which comes as a surprise to no one. The main door leading to the hallway miiiiiight have accidentally caught on fire. I've never seen Merlin move so quickly – he was over in a flash to put that fire out! And the things he said – I wasn't expecting to hear those kinds of words from him! It was pretty funny, to be honest.

I really want to learn how to use more light-based offensive magic though – Merlin's predicted that I'll be a natural at spells like Salvation and Faith, and I can't wait to see if he's right. He insists that we build up to them at the proper pace though, so of course I have to patient. Patient, patient, always patient.

He also wants to test what sorts of unique powers I might have, but I think that's going to come near the end of my training. From what it sounded like, it might be dangerous too, but don't worry. I'll be fine. I've never felt more capable in my life.

Yours truly,

Kairi

oOo

A/N: This was a fun chapter to write, because Kairi and Lea have such an interesting dynamic. And Kairi's grandmother no doubt has a wealth of stories to share with her granddaughter, so I thought, why not include one in this chapter?

Oh, and I also threw in a minor detail that will be important later on. Can you guess what it is?

As always, thanks for reading!


	8. Chapter 8 - Teamwork

Chapter 8 - Teamwork

Today was the day. It was time for another evaluation.

Flora, Fauna, and Meriwether had devised obstacle courses for the two trainees to prove they were ready to move on.

For days, they'd been developing their own fighting styles. If they both passed, they'd get to move on to joint attacks.

Remembering the last time the fairies had devised a test for the two of them, Kairi fingered the necklace around her neck nervously. Lea paced back and forth, muttering to himself about cakes and monsters.

"Kairi, are you ready dear? You're first," Fauna said.

Kairi turned to Lea and gulped. She reached for his hand and he squeezed it back.

"You'll do great. Remember what we practiced."

At her request, the two of them had started meeting after normal training for additional practice. That had morphed into self-defense lessons at Lea's suggestion.

"Neither of us wants you to get kidnapped again. What I'm about to show you will make it stupid for anyone to try."

With Lea's help she was becoming stronger than ever. Her slight frame was still a disadvantage against bigger opponents, though, and in the end, nothing could replace her Keyblade, which evened the playing field between her and potential adversaries like nothing else could. She summoned it now, taking deep breaths to calm her nerves.

Lea nodded. She opened the door to the chamber and walked inside. It was dim, so dim she could hardly see. She waited for her eyes to adjust to the lack of light. Eventually, she could make out long, dark shapes all around her. Raising her Keyblade, she performed an elemental transformation, covering it in flame.

With her makeshift light, she could see now that the mysterious shapes surrounding her were vines covered with thorns. She slashed at the nearest one with her Keyblade. It gave away easily, sliding away from the flames and disappearing into the undergrowth. She tried again with the rest of the vines surrounding her, and soon she had cleared a path forward.

Slowly, carefully, she stepped forward. Anything could be lurking in here, and she didn't want to be caught off guard—

YANK. Something had snaked its way around her leg. It dragged her towards a nearby pool. She grabbed onto the closest vine, crying out as one of the thorns pricked her hand. She ignored the pain and readjusted her arm to get a better grip. Thrashing wildly against the creature, she whacked at its sickly green tentacles wrapped around her leg. Unfortunately, it wasn't about to give up that easily.

 _Think, Kairi, think. At this rate you'll do as much damage to your own leg as you will to whatever is attacking you._

She glanced around. The vines wouldn't be any more help than they already were; the dirt wasn't of any use either. Her eyes settled on the pool. No doubt it was where the creature lived. If she were dragged underwater, it would all be over.

But what if she turned the creature's home against it?

"Freeze!" she shouted, and the pool turned completely solid. The creature froze along with it, its tentacles still wrapped around her leg.

"My aim could use some work," she muttered, turning her Keyblade to flame again so she could cut the tentacles away. The smell of burning flesh filled her nose, making her gag.

She wiped her mouth and collected her thoughts.

"Okay. Fire's good for the vines, ice for the pools." The damage to her hand and leg was taken care of with Cure, and she wobbled to her feet.

No sooner had she stood up than when a barrage of bat-like creatures charged her from above. They swooped at her with their claws, reaching for her hair and skin. She ducked just in the nick of time, broke into a dodge roll to get away, and put up a barrier immediately afterwards. They crashed against the barrier, temporarily stunned.

"My turn."

She counterattacked, catching most of them in her signature spin. The rest were taken care of with an aggressive flurry of slashes. She continued on. The vines, pool monsters, and bat creatures were all she ran into for a while. Once she got a feel for where the bat things tended to come from, she usually got them with Slow before they had the chance to sneak up on her.

She was beginning to wonder if this was just an endless maze when the next group of vines led her to an open clearing. It was eerily silent. Nothing swooped down on her. There were no pools with monsters grabbing at her legs. Not even any new creatures to test her skills.

It was quiet, too quiet.

There, in the middle. A rose shone, the only one of its kind. Its petals were blood red. As she watched, one fluttered gently to the sandy ground around it. There was something oddly mesmerizing about the flower. It glowed with a sort of unearthly light that seemed to call to her. Closer, closer her legs took her, crunch crunch crunch over the sand beneath her feet, till she was right by it.

Kairi, Kairi.

She reached a finger to touch it.

 _Don't,_ a voice warned. She snapped to her senses.

"It's a trap, it has to be."

But how could something so beautiful be dangerous? Maybe this was the end of the test. Maybe all she had to do was touch it, and this would all be over.

Yes, that had to be it. The sun was shining brightly in the sky. She could make out two figures now, splashing each other in the water by the beach. One of them had brown hair, the other silver.

Riku turned around. "Sora, look! It's Kairi!"

"Kairi!" Sora cried. He had the biggest smile on his face.

It was so good to see him. She ran towards him, relishing the familiar sound the sand made underneath her feet. It had been ages since she'd been to the beach, and she really did miss her island home.

But her progress was interrupted by a strange plummeting sensation. Why wouldn't her feet do what she told them to?

"Kairi, come on over!" Sora called, confused by the delay. "The water's fine." He flicked some of it in her direction.

"I-I can't move!"

She'd sunk. Her legs had sunk halfway.

A look of sheer terror struck Riku and Sora's faces. They were by her side in an instant. Riku threw her a vine, but it sank into the sand along with her.

She was halfway up to her torso now. The sand was carrying her further and further away from them, forming a pit she was rapidly sinking into.

"Hang on!" Sora shouted from above. She nodded, trying to stay calm. Thrashing around was the last thing she should do.

Riku had another idea. He threw a bunch of palm branches on top of the sand, making a path to her.

"Sora, jump! I'll grab your legs."

Sora didn't hesitate. He jumped after her and held out a hand as Riku anchored them both to solid ground. The sand covered everything but the palm branches and her head and arms now.

"Kairi! Grab my hand!"

She reached for it. He was so close—their fingers were almost touching, and then—

She stopped.

"Kairi, please!" Sora begged. She looked at her two friends.

Riku's face was red from exertion, the muscles in his arms bulging. Sweat dripped down his face and he gritted his teeth, but he didn't let go. Sora was grasping desperately for her hand, venturing as close as he possibly dared without forcing Riku to let go or risk falling in.

They were doing everything they could to save her.

But something was wrong. There wasn't quicksand on Destiny Islands. There never had been.

Grabbing Sora's hand would be wrong. She didn't know why, but it would be.

She spit sand out of her mouth.

"I'm sorry," she choked out, taking one final breath. Her head went under as their panicked shouts echoed in her ears. She let the sand carry her, deeper, deeper, being careful not to breathe.

Everything was starting to go dark when a strange thought entered her mind. It was almost as if she was falling—

THUNK.

She landed with a plop on the ground. Dry, cushiony ground.

"Well done, dear!" Flora exclaimed. The three fairies were gathered around her.

"You passed!" Meriwether gave her a congratulatory whack on the back.

Fauna fluttered around her, healing the scratches she'd sustained.

When she'd recovered her breath enough to speak, she asked, "How did I pass? I nearly blacked out in a pit of quicksand—"

As it was, she was still surrounded by a pile of it, and it was in her hair and her clothes and who knows where else.

"Ah, but that was the way out."

"If you had touched the rose, you would have fallen asleep."

"And then you would have failed."

Kairi frowned, picking sand grains out of her hair. "But the rose—I saw it at first, but after a while, all I could see were my friends."

Merlin appeared in a puff of smoke, a multicolored umbrella with all different kinds of owls printed on it held high above his head. "That was the rose, working its magic on your mind," he said. "You did well to disregard it. Our enemies will try to trick you. You must be ready for anything."

Kairi nodded, but a deep sense of apprehension had settled over her. The illusion, if that had been what it was, had seemed so real. Sora and Riku's cries still echoed in her ears. Did her vision have some sort of special meaning, or was it just the natural result of her fears coming into contact with the rose's magic? She shuddered, trying in vain to shut the noise out, when—

WHOOSH.

Lea, along with a small waterfall, landed in a gangly pile of limbs next to her. He was soaking wet, his hair the droopiest she'd ever seen it. The rush of water doused her too, rinsing some of the sand off her clothes and skin in the process.

"So you do use hair gel," she muttered, squeezing her now-dripping hair. Her pile of sand mixed with the water he'd brought with him, forming a sticky goop that slowly inched its way towards the fairies.

Lea turned his head in her general direction. "What the—"

"Congratulations my boy, you passed!" Merlin closed his umbrella and sloshed through the sand mixture so he could give Lea an enthusiastic handshake.

The redhead pushed the hair out of his eyes. He looked as confused as she was. "But I—"

Merlin interrupted, swinging the umbrella around in his hand. "No need to worry about the details. You two have both proven that you have developed your individual fighting styles—"

The expression Lea wore on his face made it clear he didn't quite agree. "You stuck me in a room that was half submerged in water! How was that supposed to test my—"

"You never know when the enemy will try to use your strengths against you."

His student scoffed. "I barely used any magic. How did you expect me to fight a loch ness monster, anyway? Blizzard is a bad idea when you're underwater, Fire doesn't work for obvious reasons, and Thunder is a recipe for disaster."

Merlin continued undaunted. "Yes, but you managed, now didn't you? Lots of physical attacks, combined with time magic, should have done the trick. Anyway, as I was saying, you two are both ready for the next stage of training. It's time you learned how to fight as a team."

They turned to each other, Kairi still covered in sand, Lea still soaking wet, and burst out laughing.

"Can I take a shower first?" Kairi asked.

"Me too." Lea said. He shuddered and added, "I saw what was in that water, and it wasn't pretty."

Merlin laughed. "Very well. Your progress deserves a celebration. You are dismissed for the day."

oOo

Dear Sora,

The Radiant Garden Restoration Committee says hello again! I got to see them once more today during my break. They miss you and told me to tell you to visit soon. I've attached a picture of all of them below for you.

Training is coming along smoothly. Lea and I have specialized in the areas Merlin thinks are a good fit for us – for Lea, lots of aerial movement, Strike Raids, and fire-based spells. For me, aggressive attacks paired with a wide variety of magic. We're also learning abilities that are related to Merlin's expertise – manipulating time.

While Merlin sometimes has us fight the groups of Heartless and Nobodies that threaten the townspeople, most of them are fairly weak and easy to defeat. And when Lea and I spar, we both have to hold back so we don't hurt each other. How will I do against enemies who are skilled at combat and who aren't pulling their punches? You know, like Xehanort and all of his Seekers of Darkness? I guess only real world experience will give me the answer.

I also asked Merlin what he and Yen Sid have planned for me next. I know I've got a giant red target on my back, being a Princess of Heart and all, but I refuse to go back to Destiny Islands and wait. I might as well ask Xehanort or Saïx to come kidnap me. No thank you.

But Merlin was very evasive with his answer. So what am I supposed to do then? What's the point of all of this training if I don't get to put it to good use?

Sorry, I know I'm whining. But without a clear purpose, I'm finding it harder and harder to concentrate these days.

And I miss you.

Okay, if I'm being honest, that's the real reason why I've been so restless. I'm learning how to fight, not just so that I can help (though that's a big reason), but also because I want to be with you. I want you and Riku and I to be together again, like we should be.

During my most recent test, I even saw a fake version of the two of you, created from my memories by this magical rose. I started sinking into quicksand, which I guess was a part of the test, but then you and Riku tried to help me. I wanted to grab your hand so badly, but I knew that I couldn't. I knew it meant I would fail the test.

That was hard, but what was worse was the way you reacted. You both screamed when I didn't grab your hand, and it sounded just like you. You sounded so _real_. I haven't been able to stop thinking about what happened, even though it was just an illusion created by the rose's magic and my own heart.

What would you do if something like that really happened? What would _I_ do?

I'm tired of feeling like a burden, a deadweight. Or worse, a pawn to be used against you. I know I'm in danger, but I don't care. You and Riku have put your lives on the line so many times already, isn't it time I did the same?

Then again, maybe it would be a bad idea for us to fight together. Even if I didn't get in the way, you'd probably be worried sick about me the entire time and wouldn't be able to concentrate. And I'd probably be the same.

But I'm going to be in danger no matter what, right? Might as well do something useful in the meantime.

Yours truly,

Kairi

oOo

"Psychological attacks? Are you sure about that?"

Merlin frowned at his two students waiting eagerly for his response. He was pushing them hard so they'd be ready when the time came. They'd already spent the day practicing joint attacks, to varying degrees of success. His pupils were getting better at working as a team, but they needed more practice. How they weren't exhausted, and even managed to be begging him for more training, was impressive.

And the biggest factor of all, which meant any training they did in this area would be brief: they were running out of time.

Lea nodded. "Absolutely. You said it yourself. Xehanort's gonna try to use our fears against us."

"We want to be ready for anything." Kairi was just as gung-ho as he was.

"Well, if you insist," Merlin said at last. He conjured up pieces of paper and pens for each of them. The materials floated into their hands, and they both gave him the exact same quizzical look.

After spending so much time together, their individual mannerisms had started rubbing off on each other, though of course Merlin would never tell them that. They would just deny it.

"I want you to think about what your greatest fears might be. What we think we fear the most, and what we actually fear, are often two very different things. Please write them down on your sheet of paper."

Lea rolled his eyes. "We're making lists? No offense, but that sounds kind of dumb. Aren't you the one always talking about how nothing beats experience?"

Merlin continued as if Lea hadn't interrupted him. It would seem the boy still needed to work on his manners. "As I was saying, please write down your greatest fears. And after that, write down your deepest hopes and dreams too."

"Sorry, but I'm gonna pass," Lea said. "Brings back bad memories."

Kairi stared at the paper and frowned.

"What is it, my dear?"

"I can understand writing down our greatest fears, but why our hopes?"

She, at least, was asking the right questions. "Because Xehanort can use them against you just as easily as he can use your fears. Imagine a man whose wife is sick. He's a good man, and he loves her with all his heart. He wants nothing more than to find the medicine that will heal her. A bad man comes along and offers just the medicine. But there is one condition. The good man must help the bad man commit a heinous crime to receive it. Would he do it?"

Kairi pondered his question. "He shouldn't, but he might," she finally said.

"Guess it depends on how desperate he is and how far he's willing to go," Lea muttered.

"Very true. In any other circumstance, the good man would never consider it. But because his wife's life is at stake, he is more open to doing things he normally wouldn't. In this way, even the most selfless and beautiful motives can be twisted to perform great evil. It is this that I want to help you two safeguard against, especially you, Kairi."

"Especially me?" she asked, looking worried.

"Well, you aren't a Princess of Heart for nothing," Lea pointed out. He gave her hair an affectionate tousle. Merlin pointed to the pieces of papers once more.

"This is the first step in fighting psychological attacks."

He summoned desks for them. Lea took his and dragged it to the other side of the room. He wrote something, tried to erase it before remembering he had a pen and not a pencil, scratched it out, made a hole in his paper, and had to ask Merlin for another one.

Kairi, in the meantime, stared at her paper, deep in thought. Eventually, she started writing. And writing. And writing. Lea finally scrawled a few things onto his sheet and reluctantly handed it to Merlin, and she still wasn't finished.

"Kairi, my dear, I hate to rush you, but it is getting a bit late—"

"Oh, sorry." She scribbled a few more sentences and then handed the paper to him. He was impressed by how was very detailed it was, especially compared to Lea's vague notes.

"What next?" Lea's expectant face was waiting there as Merlin looked up from their papers.

"Oh, that's all for today."

"Bummer."

Merlin chuckled. "Believe me, you'll want all the preparation you can get before I start messing with your heads. Magic that affects the body is one thing, but magic that affects the mind and heart, well, it's something else all together. Quite dangerous, in fact, and very difficult to learn."

"Can you teach me how to use it?"

Merlin peered down at Kairi, looking over the rims of his spectacles. She wore a fiercely determined expression on her face. He remembered the last time he had taught one of his students such powerful magic. It hadn't ended well. Well, not for him anyway. The student in question had gone on to become the most powerful enchantress he'd ever met, so things had worked out well enough for her. He'd just hoped, perhaps in vain, that she wouldn't use his own magic against him.

"My dear, magic of that sort… it's very easy to use it for ill. Even if you start with good intentions, once you experience what it's like to have that much power over others, well, it's hard not to use it to your advantage."

He could practically see the wheels turning in her head. "I see," she finally said.

"Don't worry, I'll keep working with you on light-based magic. We'll take things as they come after that, provided you're still training with me."

Her face lit up. "Still training? Does that mean I'll get to join Sora and Riku soon?"

"Perhaps." He didn't want to give her too many details, but he knew their time together was running short. There was still much he wanted to teach her. Teach them both. They had such potential, such talent. But the end was coming sooner rather than later, and when it did, he knew he would have to leave their fates, as well as the rest of their training, in their own hands.

oOo

Dear Sora,

The last several sessions have felt different, like Merlin's been rushing us through them. We haven't been allowed outside for weeks, though I guess it's been only a few days at most of real time. I wonder, have Riku and King Mickey found Master Aqua yet? Are they close? They must be, otherwise Merlin wouldn't be pushing us so hard. I'm in good shape now, especially compared to when I started, but even so, the frenetic rate we've been training at has really been getting to me.

Lea and I have been practicing joint attacks, and we've had some, ahem, bumps along the way. And by bumps, I mean the return of the flying Keyblade, as well as its new friends, the mid-air collision and the accidental dogpile. To be fair to Lea though, the latter two have been almost entirely my fault. At least I've been doing a good job of healing him afterwards!

We've gotten better the last few times though, actually. It helps that he started giving me extra training sessions after our ones with Merlin. He's a very brutal fighter, and he's been showing me things Merlin probably wouldn't dream of teaching me. I can hear the old wizard now, saying how inelegant it is for me to attack someone without a Keyblade or magic.

I mean, I don't plan on using most of Lea's techniques unless I'm really desperate, but I'll take all the help I can get. He doesn't want me to get kidnapped again, so he's also showing me ways to free myself if I'm being physically restrained. He's taken some damage from these sessions, but each time I successfully get away from him, he praises me and says I'm doing a good job! It's a good thing my cure spells have rapidly improved.

I hope you and I can try fighting together soon, by the way. It'll make all the blood and sweat (and yes, even the occasional tears) worth it.

Merlin's also started working with me on more advanced magic. My success rate varies, but he's as encouraging and patient as ever. I finally feel like I could actually be a help to you and Riku in battle.

Oh, and remember how I told you about my ability to sense the darkness? We're trying to hone that as well. Merlin stuck me in a pitch-black maze and had me try to figure out where the shadow Heartless were that he'd stuck in it. He's a firm believer in learning by experience.

We had a much-needed change of pace though after practice today. Remember that vision I saw of you and Riku, and how I couldn't stop thinking about it? Well, I talked to Lea about it, and we decided to ask Merlin to teach us how to protect ourselves from psychological attacks. Then he told us to write down our deepest hopes and fears. He said the enemy could use both of them against us, and that we should think of ways to protect against that.

Lea, of course, rolled his eyes and said it was dumb. I suspect it's because his worst fears have already come true, and he doesn't want to talk about them.

And as for his hopes? Well, hope can hurt worse than fear ever does, and I think he knows that better than most.

In the end, he did write something down, though it was a lot less than what I wrote. I think Merlin will probably start the actual lessons maybe tomorrow or the next day.

In the meantime, I thought I'd share my fears with you, since in a way, I've already had to face some of them.

I'm afraid of being useless and helpless. Well, that's already happened, so I can check that off the list.

I'm afraid we won't be able to help the people inside of us. It's why I'm doing everything in my power to get stronger, so that we can save them all when the time comes. Naminé deserves to have her own life, and so does Roxas.

Goodness Sora, how many people have taken refuge in your heart at this point? I know I'm not the only one. But I wouldn't expect any less from someone with a heart as big and caring as yours.

Anyway, back to my list: I'm afraid of something bad happening to Riku. I know he's not in danger from the darkness now. He's more than proven himself, and I couldn't be prouder of him.

But I'm worried he doesn't value his own life. He gave into the darkness trying to help me and spent a year trying to restore your heart to your body. I doubt he took very good care of himself during that time. Remember when I insisted on cutting his hair after the two of you came home? I don't know how he could see with it hanging in his eyes like that, let alone fight.

I'm afraid that he'll throw his own life away if he thinks it's for a worthy cause. You know that he would.

Speaking of self-sacrificial tendencies, though, mister, you take the cake.

And that's it. That's what I fear the most: losing you. I nearly did, and I—

Sorry for the smudges. Hope they don't make the page illegible. Guess we both know what my weakness is, huh? There's no way it has escaped Xehanort's notice, either.

To be honest, I have no idea how I would protect myself if they tried to use you against me. And that's the reason why Lea and I asked Merlin for help, and why he made us do this whole thought exercise.

As for my hopes? Well, I hope to see everyone reunite. I want to see all of the damage and suffering Xehanort has caused to be made right. I want to see the worlds restored.

My deepest hope of all, though, is—

Well, it's a secret. I think you may know what it is already, but still, it's something I should tell you myself. In person.

Yours truly,

Kairi

P.S. It's been months for me! It's getting hard to be patient. I can't wait to see you!

oOo

"They're in Castle Oblivion now, boss. She's with them."

"Perfect. We won't be able to find him without her help, after all."

"It's not gonna be easy, taking him away from them. We'll have to be quick."

"But of course. There will be a very small window of time to do so, when they have located his body and before they have awakened his heart."

"I doubt they'll do it here. They'll probably just grab his body and leave."

"Oh, but that's where you come in. Don't let them leave. Force Sora to awaken his heart in the castle. He'll be virtually defenseless while it happens, leaving one of the others no choice but to guard him. Even if the only one we manage to retrieve is the one who already belongs to us, there is a good chance Sora will damage his own heart in the process, leaving him even more vulnerable than he already is."

"Roger that."

"Take everyone available with you. If we succeed, we'll add two or even three more to our number. If we fail, we'll still have the one. No matter how this turns out, we'll use it to our advantage."

oOo

A/N: This chapter takes place during a transition in the story, but it's still important for giving closure to earlier plot points and setting up later ones. At first I was going to have it just be a series of letters, but then I realized I wanted to show instead of tell how far Kairi's come in her training. Enjoy the calm before the storm, and as always, thank you for reading!


	9. Chapter 9 - Rescue

A/N: Just a quick heads up: this chapter is more violent than the previous ones, but I tried to keep it comparable to canon levels of violence (so no blood). As always, thank you for reading!

Chapter 9 - Rescue

Castle Oblivion was the sort of place anyone with a healthy sense of self-preservation and caution usually avoided. The name alone was foreboding, to say nothing of the eerie lightning flashing behind its dull brown walls. The towers and turrets, capped by jade green rooftops, pointed every which way, looking as if they might impale any Gummi Ships unlucky enough to get too close. And if that wasn't enough to keep people away, the windows, illuminated as they were by a sickly yellow glow, should have done the trick.

Whoever managed to brave the path leading up to the castle, well, their journey had only just begun. For inside the castle were thirteen regular floors stacked on top of thirteen basement floors. Each one of them was an endless sea of white. Getting lost was impossibly easy in the mazelike hallways and rooms.

Once they had been filled with color and life, but that had all been leached away, leaving nothing but a faded memory of what the castle used to be. If anything, it was a prison; a prison that had kept the young witch Naminé trapped there, her powers over memory used by Organization XIII to ensnare Sora and his friends. While she had been freed, and Sora's memories restored, there was still one more who remained.

For more than a decade, no one had been able to find him. He slept on, oblivious to the efforts of all those who tried. Aqua had hidden him well, keeping him safe from Xehanort and anyone else who might want to get their hands on her friend. Now that she had been rescued, the time had finally come to save him. He'd waited long enough.

Her task was simple. All she had to do was retrieve his body from the castle. She, and she alone, knew where he was, hidden safely in the Chamber of Waking. Finding him would be easy. After all, she was the one who had transformed the castle into its current state.

The problem was getting him out. Thanks to Terra's warning, she knew Xehanort was after Ven. No doubt he was simply waiting for her to unseal the room where Ventus slept so he could steal his body for his own dark purposes. Why else would he have spent all these years searching for Ven?

She'd considered going alone. It would've been easier to escape detection that way. But Xehanort would almost certainly have help, and trying to carry Ven and fight whoever he sent against her at the same time was a recipe for disaster. She might as well just hand Ven's body over.

No, going alone wouldn't work. She needed help. Which was why Mickey, Riku, Sora, Donald, and Goofy had all come with her. With this many people, they would almost certainly be spotted. But as Xehanort was probably already tracking them anyway, it didn't matter.

Stealth was out of the question, so a new plan had been formed, one based on speed. Only Aqua could unseal the Chamber of Waking, but once it was open, anyone could get inside. The plan was for Riku to grab Ven's body as soon as the seal had been broken. Mickey, Donald, and Goofy were the peripheral guard, and Sora was Riku's backup. Once Ven's body had been safely procured, Aqua would open a portal and use her Keyblade armor, specially, ahem, reacquired for this mission, to get Ven out of here.

The others would have to get out on their own, but Aqua suspected that Xehanort wouldn't want to draw out the fight. He was a very crafty man, and there was no sense in fighting over Ven's body if Ven wasn't even there anymore.

Everyone had agreed it was a good plan, or as good as they could come up with, under the circumstances. Riku had pointed out the inherent difficulty of getting Ven to her if fighting broke out, which it almost certainly would, but a reassurance on her end that she could use time magic to effectively teleport around a room, along with a brief demonstration, had quelled his fears.

Despite every safeguard and every precaution, she was still worried out of her mind. Ven was counting on her. If she messed this up, he'd have a horrible fate forced on him, one that no one should ever have to endure. And Ven's safety wasn't the only thing at stake here. All of her friends were in danger. Especially Sora.

Riku had told her what had almost happened to him. Who was to say Xehanort wouldn't make another attempt? After what Terra had suffered through, she couldn't risk losing him too. Not the brave, kind boy who had already done so much for her and her friends.

She'd told him he didn't have to come, as they only really needed him to wake Ven up, and that could be done later on. But he'd been oddly insistent, and his attitude reminded her so much of Ven it made her heart ache. Leaving Ven behind hadn't ended well, and she knew leaving Sora behind wouldn't either.

She'd nearly rethought her decision to let him come along, though, when he'd suggested that they try to wake Ven up in the castle itself, instead of waiting to do it in a safer location.

"Are you crazy?" Riku had demanded, ever the blunt voice of reason. "Do you remember when I woke you up? I had to go to sleep to do it, and my body was just sitting there. If you think Xehanort wouldn't try to posses you again when you're asleep, then—"

"That's not what I meant," Sora had shot back, a little more passionately than anyone had expected. "I think Aqua's plan is the best one. But what if something goes wrong? What if they get to Ven's body before we do? Then what?"

"Then we get it back," Donald had said.

"Plus, I have my barrier magic," Aqua had pointed out. "If I use it on Ven, they won't be able to touch him as long as the barrier is up."

Mickey had showed more confidence than she'd felt. "All of us working together, we can do it. We can save Ventus, I just know it."

"You've just gotta have faith, Sora." Goofy had put a hand on his friend's shoulder.

Riku had given him a pointed look. He'd known what was going through Sora's head. He knew his friend well. "And that means we get Ventus's body back here _before_ you try anything."

Sora had been silent for a moment, carefully considering Riku's words. Then he'd looked to Donald and Goofy. They'd both nodded encouragingly, and he'd smiled at last. "You're right. It's better if I wait until we get back to wake him up."

Bright blue eyes had shone back at them, and they were so very much like Ven's that Aqua had had to return his smile. How could she have known what was really going through his head? He'd been sincere enough, and that was all that mattered. That was all she'd wanted to matter.

oOo

"This is it," Aqua said. She turned to the little group with her. "The final seal." Before them was a huge set of double doors, an elaborate magical seal holding it closed, the design etched into the ivory itself.

Traversing the castle had been easy. Too easy. No enemies had been spotted yet, but they couldn't let their guard down. If Xehanort wanted to attack, he would do it as soon as the seal was broken. They were all on edge, expecting the worst.

Her friends nodded. Everyone was in position, weapons at the ready. Donald held his staff in the air, and Goofy his shield. Mickey, Sora, and Riku all had their Keyblades in hand, and Riku and Sora had braced themselves to run or warp or whatever it was they intended to do.

As she looked around at their little band, a lump built in her throat. Mickey had met Ven before, but none of the others (well, except for Sora, albeit indirectly) had. Yet they were willing to risk life and limb to save him, all because she'd asked them to. After wandering in the darkness for so long on her own, she still wasn't quite used to having friends at her side again.

And now, one of her oldest, dearest friends needed her. The people standing before her had saved her, and now it was time she paid it forward.

 _Pull it together, Aqua. Ven needs you to be strong._

"Whenever you're ready," Riku said.

Aqua nodded. She raised Master's Defender high in the air, taking a deep breath. "Ven, we're here. I'm sorry it took so long." She pointed it at the doors, and a flash of light connected the Keyblade to the seal. The doors creaked open, and there was Ven, asleep on the great white throne in the middle of the room, just like she'd left him.

Too bad swarms of Nobodies and Heartless just had to appear as soon as the doors were open. Hundreds of them filled the room in every direction. Neoshadows and Flame Cores and Water Cores and Darkballs and Soldiers and Large Bodies and Red Nocturnes and Blue Rhapsodies and Yellow Operas and Defenders and Nightwalkers and Assassins and Berserkers and Dancers and Creepers and—

Oh, and they'd brought company. One, two, three – Aqua counted four black coats. For a moment, time seemed to stand still as she took it all in in horror.

 _There's no way. We'll never be able to—_

 _No! I didn't come all this way for nothing. I'm Master Aqua, and I will save my friend!_

oOo

"Ven! _NO!_ "

She put a protective barrier around him just in the nick of time. His body floated in the air, safely out of reach of the ones trying to steal it. But the barrier wouldn't last forever. As it was, several dozen Heartless and Nobodies were already attacking it, and Xemnas and Ansem had turned their attention to her. Their attacks prevented her from getting anywhere near her friend, and seeing two men who looked so much like Terra had shocked her badly.

"What did you do to him?" she demanded. "Where's Terra?"

"Terra? Who is this Terra you speak of?" Xemnas asked.

"That isn't him, Aqua!" Mickey shouted. He kept casting powerful magic on their enemies, but it was only slowing them down, not stopping them long enough to let anyone grab Ventus's body and leave. Donald and Goofy were keeping Xigbar occupied, but the gleeful smirk on his face made Sora think the sniper was messing with them more than he was fighting them.

"This would be a lot easier without all the extra Heartless and Nobodies," Riku muttered to Sora as they performed a Link attack together. "They can't get to him, but neither can we. It's a stalemate."

Riku was torn away from their conversation by Saïx's nasty berserker attack. He cartwheeled out of the way and retaliated with Dark Splicer.

"After all Xehanort did to you, how can you still work for him?!"

They were hopelessly outnumbered. Sora could see that now. He looked around the room at his friends, fighting so bravely to save Ventus. And Aqua most of all; she hadn't come all this way just to watch her friend get stolen and possessed.

Riku was right. They'd never get Ventus out of here at this rate.

No, that wasn't true. There was a way to do it. It was reckless and stupid, but as Sora watched Xemnas land a blow on Aqua that shattered the barrier protecting Ventus, he knew he had no choice. They couldn't afford to lose him.

"Riku, cover me!" he shouted, taking a flying leap into the air.

Mickey slowed time down, and while he did, a number of things happened.

Donald froze Xigbar. Goofy nailed him in the face with his shield. Aqua crashed against the wall and sent a new barrier flying in Ventus's direction. Riku narrowly avoided a crushing blow from Saïx, distracted as he was by what Sora had said.

And Sora grabbed Ventus's hand, which was within reach at last. He dove into his own heart, losing consciousness just as Aqua's barrier went up around the two of them.

"Sora, you idiot!" Riku shouted as time went back to normal and he spied his friend's sleeping body. Sora wasn't supposed to try to wake Ventus up until they were in a safer location! They'd even talked about it and agreed to it beforehand, and yet Sora had gone and—

As he parried an attack from above, he tried not to despair.

This was exactly the kind of thing Xehanort wanted, and Sora, brave and stupid as he was, had walked right into his trap.

His friend was asleep, and that made it all too easy for Xehanort to possess him. Riku was half-tempted to dive into Sora's heart himself to make sure that didn't happen, but the last thing Mickey and Aqua needed was another unconscious person to deal with. At least Sora had had the good sense to go to Ven. They'd be easier to guard if they were in the same place.

 _Sora, you'd better pull this off. You'll either win this battle for us, or you just doomed yourself, Ventus, and everyone else inside your heart._

oOo

Deeper and deeper Sora dove as a lifetime's worth of memories whizzed past him. Saying goodbye to his Dream Eater friends. The Mark of Mastery exam. Kairi's farewell. Her letter. Reunions. Waking up after a year of sleep. Arriving at Castle Oblivion. Being separated from his friends. Becoming a Heartless. Meeting Donald and Goofy for the first time.

On and on he went, going further and further back into his past, back into his earliest memories. He didn't know where Ven's heart would be exactly, but he had an idea, and he had no time to waste. Back, back, back to one particular night on Destiny Islands. It was before Kairi had even arrived. Back when Riku was his only friend, one of his earliest memories.

There. The memory was in view now. He flew towards it and into it, breaking his fall with a dodge roll that allowed him to land on his feet on the sand.

Nothing was quite like the sea at night. The gentle crash of wave against shore, the stars twinkling in the sky like diamonds reflecting off of the water, the sea-salt breeze.

This was the night Ventus had taken refuge in his heart. It had to have been. No other time or place would make sense. But the question was, where was Ventus's heart now? How would he reach it?

"Sora."

He whirled around at the sound of his name. "Roxas?" Sure enough, his Nobody stood before him, and at the sight of him, Sora's heart sank. Right now, he was here for one person and one person only. But he hadn't given up. He'd never give up. Not till he found a way to save Roxas, too.

He took his Nobody's hands in his and apologized. "I'm sorry, I can't save you yet. I'm here for someone else, and I don't have much time."

Sora could try to get Roxas out along with Ventus, but then what? There was no body for Roxas to return to. Not unless Sora handed over his own. And while he'd considered the idea more than he'd ever admit to Riku, right now he needed to save Ventus.

Roxas shook his head and smiled. "It's okay. I know what you're thinking, and I just wanted to say—I know I'm myself, and I know we're not the same. But I don't want you to sacrifice yourself for me. It wasn't fair when I had to do it for you, and it wouldn't be fair for you to do it for me."

"Roxas." Sora felt a pang of guilt at the reminder of what Roxas had given up for his sake. It was never something Sora would have wanted or asked for. It wasn't fair, and it needed to be fixed. "I promise, I'll find a way to save you."

Roxas gave his hand a squeeze. "I know you will. Keep going, and you'll find the person you're looking for."

Sora hated to say goodbye, but he had no choice. He pressed on. There was a lone figure sitting by the paopu tree, and he ran to it.

"Ventus?" he asked.

The figure turned to him, the black hood covering its face falling to reveal a girl with dark hair and blue eyes.

Wait, he'd seen her before. Back during his Mark of Mastery exam. And not only that. She looked so much like—

"You're looking for someone," she remarked, interrupting his thoughts.

"Who are you?" he asked, panting for breath. And why did she look like Kairi?

"Just a puppet here to play her part." She smiled sadly, and Sora's eyes filled with tears. "Keep going," she continued. "You'll find the person you're looking for soon, but be careful, or you'll wake someone else up too."

"Oh, right," Sora said, more to himself than to her as he wiped his eyes. "Can't wake Roxas up yet, 'cause he doesn't have a body right now."

She shook her head. "I'm not talking about Roxas." She pointed in the direction of the Secret Place. "But you'll see for yourself. Hurry!"

Sora looked towards where she was pointing, hoping to spot Ventus. Nothing. When he turned to address her again, she was gone.

"I still don't know her name," he said to himself as he raced to the Secret Place. He crawled inside, scrambling along on his hands and knees till the passage became taller. Even then, he nearly bumped his head when he tried to straighten to his full height. _Did I grow again?_ he wondered, continuing along in a bent-over position.

Presently he reached the main chamber, which finally allowed him to stand normally. He looked around at the surrounding walls, which didn't yet have the paopu drawing or any of the other doodles he and Kairi had made. But the door before him had a keyhole now. It glowed faintly in the dim light.

 _Well, this must be it. It has to be._

He summoned his Keyblade and unlocked the door.

oOo

 _What's taking so long?_

It had probably only been a few minutes, but Riku was exhausted, his nerves stretched to the breaking point.

He and Goofy were guarding the barrier holding Sora and Ventus. Ever since Sora had become unconscious, the Heartless and Nobodies had been relentless, to mention nothing of Saïx, who was still hell-bent on attacking him. It was all he could do just to stay on his feet. He couldn't even see what was happening to Aqua. But whatever it was, the barrier still held, thanks to her sheer force of will.

Mickey was still performing crowd control on the Heartless and Nobodies, using magic to take out or slow down as many of them as he could. Donald had raced over to help Aqua now that Xigbar was gone. Where Xigbar had disappeared to, Riku neither knew nor cared. Of the Seekers, only Xemnas, Ansem, and Saïx were left. It was a fairer fight now, and that was all that mattered.

But wait. Something wasn't quite adding up. Why had Xigbar left after being injured? That wasn't like him. He was proud. Running away was the height of cowardice. He wouldn't stop fighting until he was dead.

Unless he had specific orders not to.

Which meant Xehanort needed him alive. That made sense. He wanted to make his new Χ-blade. It also meant he didn't want anyone with a Keyblade dead, though Donald and Goofy had no such safeguard. And Saïx seemed to have missed the whole "don't try to kill anyone" memo, but that was probably just because he was Saïx.

 _We've got the advantage. They're supposed to keep us alive, but we can kill them._

It was more than just a fairer fight. The odds were stacked so heavily in their favor that Riku was suspicious. Donald and Goofy were in terrible danger, but they'd probably known that coming in. Their loyalty to Sora and to their king had brought them here, not any supreme confidence that they would win.

No, there had to be something else. Something he was missing. This fight actually seemed winnable.

Winnable, that is, until Xehanort himself showed up.

oOo

Sora blinked rapidly at the blinding light, shielding his face as he walked inside. The ground around him was covered in grass, and he was in a courtyard of sorts. Behind him loomed an enormous castle, its floating towers connected by an elaborate system of bridges and chains.

It was night, and the stars shone brilliantly in the sky overhead. There was something about the castle that seemed oddly familiar as he ascended its marble steps. He didn't even have to use his Keyblade, as the enormous doors opened on their own in reaction to his presence.

He found himself inside a great hall. The only sound in the place was the lonely echo of his footsteps as he ran along, searching for Ventus. He knew he should be careful, but he had no time to lose.

 _This must have been his home,_ Sora thought, spying a row of portraits along the wall. What had happened to it? He couldn't shake the growing sense that something was horribly wrong.

"No, wait—this must be… Castle Oblivion?"

The decorations were different, sure, but the layout was the same. Sora hadn't just traversed an endless maze of similarly designed white halls for no reason. And Aqua had said she'd transformed their old home to hide Ventus. It all made sense.

How this place existed inside Sora's heart when he'd never been to it in this state before, though, was an entirely different matter. But there was someone who had been here before. He could have made this place.

Presently, Sora reached another set of enormous doors. They, too, opened automatically for him. Inside was a grand room, decorated with elaborate gold trimmings and stained glass windows. In the middle of the room, on a raised platform, were three thrones. And sitting on the middle throne was the person he'd been searching for, at long last.

"Ventus!" he cried, racing towards him. His voice echoed through the throne room, bouncing off walls and windows till it filled the whole place. Blue eyes fluttered open at the sound of Sora's voice, and Ventus's head, slumped over in the peaceful depths of slumber before, straightened as it drowsily searched for Sora.

"Sora!" he shouted when his eyes alighted on his goal. "You're really here!" He sprung to his feet and ran towards his rescuer. With that, his heart was fully awake at last. Now to get it back in his body.

Sora was mere feet away from Ventus when a mysterious figure jumped between them. It was clad in black and red, its face covered by a helmet. A gloved hand waved its Keyblade menacingly at Sora, then whipped around to do the same to Ventus.

"Not so fast, just where do you think you're going?" its taunting voice asked. "My master needs your body. We can't have your heart returning to it now."

Ventus gave the masked boy a vicious glare, summoning his Keyblade before Sora could say anything.

"Hold on a second. Who are you?" Sora demanded, holding his own Keyblade to the masked boy's back. He knew it'd been too good to be true. There was no way rescuing Ventus would've been this easy.

"He's Vanitas," Ventus spat. "Xehanort made him from the darkness in my heart. I thought I'd stopped him for good when I shattered the Χ-blade, but it looks like he's been hiding in your heart all this time!"

"He what?" Sora felt queasy at the thought of someone Ventus clearly loathed living inside his heart for so long, but he pushed that thought aside to focus on the moment at hand.

The boy laughed at Ventus's words. "You really thought you destroyed me? That's rich." He turned to face Sora. "But you know what'll be even better? Your reaction when you see my face."

Sora stared in horrified fascination as the boy's helmet dissolved. Staring straight back into his eyes was a boy with jet-black hair and golden eyes. But everything else, down to the way his hair spiked up in the back, matched Sora's appearance exactly.

"Why do you look like me?!" Sora demanded, feeling sick to his stomach. Vanitas cackled in response, relishing the shock and horror and confusion warring on Sora's face.

"Surprised? Heh, I knew you would be. Looks like the weakling's connection to you shaped what I look like. But you can thank him for that later," he said, raising his Keyblade again. Sora drew himself into a battle stance in turn, ready to fight whoever this imposter was who'd just threatened Ventus—

"Sora, no! We should get out of here!" Ventus shouted. He deftly rolled around Vanitas, grabbed Sora's hand, and took off at a full sprint down the stairs. Sora didn't argue; they'd already wasted too much precious time as it was.

"Think you can get away that easily? Think again!" Vanitas shouted after them. Just like that, the doors slammed shut, and he blocked their progress.

"He can teleport?!" Sora demanded, turning to Ventus for confirmation.

"Unfortunately, yeah," Ventus muttered back, crashing to a halt so he could change directions with Sora still in tow. "Thankfully, I know this place like the back of my hand."

"Right. It's your home, isn't it?"

Ventus nodded, dashing through a side door into a smaller hallway. "Careful, Vanitas really likes—"

"Fireballs, I'm guessing?" He'd sent a rapid succession of them the two of them, which they narrowly avoided.

"Yeah, and he also likes—"

As if on cue, a pillar of ice shot up from the ground, throwing them both high into the air. Sora recovered first, managing to land on his feet and grab a slightly stunned Ventus before taking off running again.

"If we can just get to Destiny Islands again, I think I can get us back—"

He nearly ran into Vanitas, who had appeared before them again.

"You aren't going anywhere. Stand up to me and fight, you coward."

"Sora isn't a coward! You're the coward!" Ventus practically snarled. While Sora was beginning to understand just why Ventus hated his dark counterpart so much, this had to be exactly what Vanitas wanted. If they fought, then it would take even more time, which meant Ventus was at an even higher risk of getting possessed. Ventus had had the right idea before; their best bet was still to just run away.

He cast a quick succession of Blizzaga and Firaga spells at Vanitas, topping it all off with a Blizzaza and a Firaza. Hopefully at least one of them would connect. Then he and Ventus continued down the hall; here Ventus had the clear advantage, taking them through a winding series of doorways and corridors that had Sora completely lost halfway through it. And Vanitas too it would seem, as he was no longer pursuing them.

At last they were in the main hall again. They raced past the portraits and towards the doors. Right as they reached the exit, their enemy appeared, along with a wall of dark energy that came hurtling towards them.

Sora didn't hesitate. He swung Ventus around, gathering momentum and then flinging him high over their attacker. He aimed a volley of shotlocks at Vanitas, temporarily catching him off guard just long enough to get away as the doors slammed shut.

Ventus was waiting for him outside. "Run!" Sora shouted at him. The door to the Secret Place was just up ahead. They were so close.

Through the door and into the main chamber of the cave, then he sealed the door shut. Down the narrow tunnel leading out to the pool they ran, till at last they tumbled out onto the beach. So hard and fast had they run that they were both left sprawled on the sand, gasping for air.

"Now – what?" Ventus asked, panting.

"I've – gotta – get your heart out of mine – and – back into your body," Sora replied, struggling to sit up.

"How – are you gonna do that – exactly?"

"Wait for me," Sora said as he stood. "I've got something called the Key to Return Hearts. I'll wake up, and when I do, I'll use it on myself. It should get your heart out of my body, and then your heart will go back to your body."

"Right," Ventus said, nodding. "Hurry, Sora. And be careful. Vanitas is gonna—"

"I'm gonna what?"

"Go NOW!" Ventus shouted, summoning his Keyblade as he faced Vanitas. "I'll be ready, okay? Don't worry about me, just—"

Sora didn't want to leave Ventus alone, but he knew he had no choice. He had to believe Ventus could take care of himself. He pictured Castle Oblivion, and soon his memories were racing by again, this time in the right order.

With a gasp he awoke, just in time to realize Aqua's barrier had shattered, leaving him and Ventus unprotected as they crashed to the ground. He held tight to Ventus's hand as it happened, as there was little time for anything else. There was a bright flash of light, and a loud CLANG, and then all was still.

Groaning at the pain of the impact, he sat up.

He was expecting someone or something to attack, but what he wasn't expecting was for Xehanort himself to be right there, looming over him. Sora summoned his Keyblade and scrambled to protect Ventus's body.

"Why thank you, Sora. Looks like I'm too late to take you, thanks to your friend—"

He paused to gesture at Riku, who was doubled over on the ground behind him.

"Riku!" Sora cried. Xemnas had Aqua pinned high against the wall, and she looked like she wanted to murder Xehanort for whatever it was he'd just done. Ansem's Guardian had captured Mickey and held him to the ground. And Donald and Goofy were trapped on the other side of a shimmering barrier by the doors, slamming their fists against it and shouting.

Riku groaned and opened his eyes. At the sight of their proper color, Aqua and Mickey both sighed in relief.

"I'll be fine," Riku choked out, "don't worry about—"

Xehanort raised him into the air and slammed him against the wall. Sora gasped at the awful cracking sound his friend's body made. His stomach lurched, and he whispered Riku's name in horror.

Xehanort turned back to him. "As I was saying, I may be too late for you, but Ventus's body still lacks its heart. I'll be taking it now, if you don't mind."

He took a menacing step towards Ventus, but Sora refused to budge.

"Over my dead body!" he spat, waving his Keyblade threateningly at Xehanort. He'd protected Ventus ever since he could remember, and he wasn't about to stop now. He'd never let Xehanort make Ventus his puppet, especially after what he'd just done to Riku.

Xehanort gave the Keyblade aimed straight at his heart a wary look. "Come now, my boy. Nobody needs to die today."

Sora ignored him, turning to the sleeping boy he guarded.

"Sorry, Ventus. This is probably gonna hurt." He reached into his pocket, pulling out the Key to Return Hearts. It was smaller than he'd originally expected, with an intricate design consisting of light and dark metal gracefully intertwining to form a heart at the hilt end. Xehanort's eyes went wide at the sight of it.

"Sora, don't!" Mickey shouted. At his reaction, Donald and Goofy started slamming themselves against the barrier.

"No, Sora! It's too dangerous!" Aqua cried. She thrashed against her captor, but he refused to let her down.

 _If I mess this up, I could become a Heartless again._ The way the Key worked, it was only supposed to remove hearts that weren't his and return them to their rightful owners. But as Yen Sid had pointed out, Ventus's heart had been inside of his body for so long that it might not be that easy to take out. He could even remove his own heart on accident in the process. Or worse, pull Roxas's heart, or that girl's heart out, with no body for either of them to return to.

But he had no choice. Focusing on Ventus and only Ventus, Sora dropped his Keyblade and plunged the Key to Return Hearts deep into his heart.

Xehanort smiled in glee. "You foolish boy! Don't you know what that key might do to you?"

Sora gritted his teeth, ignoring both Xehanort's taunts and the excruciating pain shooting through his chest. _Ventus, can you hear me? It's time. Go back to your body!_

 _I'm ready!_ He felt more than heard Ventus's response. So far, so good. Sora's body hadn't disappeared yet, which meant he probably wouldn't turn into a Heartless. Taking a deep breath, he braced himself and started pulling the Key back out.

That was when everything went wrong.

Xehanort had grown tired of waiting to see what Sora would do. He lunged at Ventus's body, and Mickey, who had finally wiggled free of Ansem's Guardian, rushed to block him. But Ansem had only let go so he could stop the badly injured Riku from moving. Aqua struggled against Xemnas, an explosion of light bursting forth from within her that formed powerful golden chains.

And inside Sora's heart, Vanitas latched onto Ventus, refusing to let go. It was right at that moment that Sora had chosen to pull the Key out of his heart.

Just as Yen Sid had predicted, Ventus's heart had been inside of Sora for so long that the separation did not come easily. All the places where Sora had filled in the missing chunks of Ventus's heart and painstakingly repaired it had knit Ventus's heart to his body. Breaking that connection felt more like tearing his own heart out than releasing one that didn't belong to his body. Especially since he was rushing. Given the proper amount of time, it could be carefully done, but that was the problem. There wasn't time.

And to make matters worse, Vanitas was actively opposing the separation, trying to pull Ventus's heart back into Sora's body as Sora tried to pull it out.

 _Let go of me!_ Ventus shouted.

 _You aren't going anywhere,_ Vanitas retorted. _If I'm stuck in here, then you will be too._

Their fight reverberated through Sora's head till it drowned out everything else. Combined with the searing agony of the Key still embedded in his chest and the horrible tearing sensation deep inside his heart, and it made for the worst pain he'd ever felt in his life. Not even removing Kairi's heart from his body, and his along with it, had hurt this badly. That had been over quickly. Thanks to Vanitas, this was taking longer than it had any reason to.

But Sora would stop at nothing to save Ventus. And not just Ventus. Aqua was counting on him too. She missed her friends badly. The lonely, haunted look in her eyes reminded him so much of the hollow ache and incessant worry he felt during during his search for Riku and Kairi that he couldn't just stand there and watch her suffer. He had to _do_ something.

 _Just – a little – further—_

Ventus's heart, pulled as it was between two opposing forces, stretched to its limit. His tortured cry made Sora freeze in horror.

 _I'm gonna kill him. If this doesn't end soon, he'll—_

A voice interrupted his thoughts. _No, Sora! You can't stop now!_

 _A-are you sure?_

 _Just get it over with, please!_

Summoning his remaining strength, he gave the Key one last pull. Something deep inside of him snapped, and he screamed in agony as the Key came out of his chest at last. He collapsed to the ground, the Key slipping from his fingers and clattering to the floor.

As Ventus's heart floated back into his body, another heart flew to Xehanort's side. Content that he had what he wanted, if not a little disappointed that he had failed to capture Ventus's body or possess Sora's, Xehanort summoned a Corridor of Darkness and disappeared. He didn't want anyone to notice his new Seeker, after all. Xemnas and Ansem could take care of the rest. The others had already left at his instruction, too injured to continue.

It worked. None of the Lights noticed, as something far more interesting had just happened. Ventus's eyes had just opened for the first time in over ten years.

"Ven!" Aqua shouted. Her golden chains had proved very effective; they were wrapped tightly around both Xemnas and Ansem. She ran to Ven as quickly as she could manage, gasping for breath.

The barrier holding Donald and Goofy back collapsed with Xehanort's departure. Mickey cast Holy, which temporarily knocked both Ansem and Xemnas back even further. The next order of business was to heal Riku, who struggled to his feet and limped his way towards Sora. His friend's scream had made his blood run cold, and he feared the worst.

As Mickey kept Xemnas and Ansem at bay, and Donald and Goofy joined him, Aqua and Riku reached Ventus and Sora.

But instead of the happy reunion they'd all been hoping for, Ven was shaking.

"No, no, no! Sora, please! You've gotta wake up!" He cradled Sora's limp body in his arms, and when he looked up at Aqua and Riku, tears were streaming down his cheeks. "Aqua, we've got to do something! _Please._ "

As Aqua and Riku took in Sora's ashen skin and closed eyes, the seriousness of his condition finally sank in.

The price of their victory, if it could even be called that, had been too high.

oOo

Dear Sora,

Merlin surprised us tonight with the announcement that I'll be going to Yen Sid's Tower tomorrow, and that if all goes well, you'll be there too! I don't know how I'm going to be able to sleep tonight with news like that on my mind, but Merlin stressed that it was important for me to rest.

Pssshh, like that's going to happen!

There's just so much to tell you. I've written a lot of it in this diary for you to read, but I want to talk to you about it too. Oh, and I want to hear all about your adventures! Are you a Master yet? Where have you been? Who have you gotten to meet?

Oh, I almost forgot: Lea may not be with me when I come tomorrow, because he's been summoned. Alice needed extra protection tonight. Okay, so all of the princesses could probably use some extra protection, but her world has been experiencing a higher number of Heartless than normal, like an infestation or something. Better safe than sorry, right?

Lea seemed pretty nervous, but he was excited too. This is his first official mission as a Keyblade wielder, after all. I'm sure he'll do great.

I wonder if I'm going to get my first mission soon. Still no word from Merlin on what I'm doing next. I swear, if it involves any variation of me going into hiding…

Anyway, the Restoration Committee has been busy today too. There's been a spike in the number of Heartless and Nobodies on Radiant Garden, and they've had their hands full dealing with it.

Merlin thinks this isn't a coincidence. He warned me to be extra careful, so I can't leave his house until it's time to go to Yen Sid's. Xehanort's going to try something, if he hasn't already.

Even though my training isn't technically finished yet, it sounds like the next phase of Yen Sid's plan is about to get put into motion. Here's hoping I get to do something useful this time around.

Anyway, I can't wait to see you! I hope that whatever it is you're doing goes well. And I'm looking forward to giving you this diary. I'll probably be too embarrassed to be around for when you actually read it, but I do want you to.

Yours truly,

Kairi

P.S. See you soon!


	10. Chapter 10 - Aftermath

Chapter 10 - Aftermath

The shallow rise and fall of Sora's chest was the only indicator he was still alive. His hair stuck in sweaty clumps to his forehead, and tears streaked his pallid cheeks. When Riku put a finger to his neck, his pulse was weak and rapid, his skin deathly cold. Aqua wasted no time in casting a quick succession of powerful healing spells. Everyone sighed in relief as the color returned to his skin, along with the usual light flush across his cheeks. His breathing slowed down and his pulse evened out. But he didn't wake up.

"That's all we can do for now," Riku said, his voice low. Physically, Sora would be alright. Who knows what damage his heart had sustained.

"Fellas, a little help please?" Mickey called out. Riku glanced at Aqua and nodded. His hand lingered on Sora's shoulder for a moment before he limped to Mickey's side, leaving Aqua alone with Sora and Ven.

She was still reeling from shock. She absentmindedly cast a barrier around the three of them. _This is all my fault. If I had just—_

No. There was no time for wallowing in guilt. Ven was finally awake, and right now he needed her. She knelt down, putting a comforting arm on his shoulder as she choked back the tears. She had to be strong for him.

Sure enough, he threw his arms around her. She pulled him close, remembering what it was like when Riku, Mickey, and Sora had rescued her. She hadn't realized how starved she'd been for physical affection until Sora had held out his hand and she'd grabbed it, lifeline that it was. The warmth that had radiated throughout her entire body from the simple gesture was something she'd never forget. And now that same hand lay cold and limp before her. She buried her face in Ven's hair to block it out.

"It's not your fault," she whispered. His arms tightened around her, and for a few moments she forgot their current situation and forgot all of the burdens she carried and focused on how good it felt to have Ven here with her at last, awake and alive.

"Aqua." Riku had returned, a deep sense of urgency in his voice. "We have to get Sora out of here."

She nodded, pulling away from Ven. Her friends were still fighting Xemnas and Ansem, after all, and the only thing that would make this whole thing worse was if one of them got their slimy hands on Sora.

"I'll carry him," Riku said. "Here, hand him over." She briefly let the barrier down, and he kneeled and put an arm around Sora's shoulder as she put it back up again.

"No, wait," Ven said. He detached the armor piece from his arm and put it on Sora's instead.

Riku frowned and pointed out the obvious. "Won't it be too small? He's grown a lot lately. I think he's taller than you now."

"Don't worry," Aqua said. "The armor's designed to fit its owner. It's not technically Sora's, but since Ven's heart was inside him for so long, I think the armor will recognize him. It'll be alright."

Ven pressed his hand against the armor piece, and it formed a protective shell around Sora. "There. I'm sorry – I'm sorry I couldn't do more," he whispered.

The next part was going to be tricky. "Riku, guard me please," Aqua requested, letting the barrier down again. She put her own armor on and lifted Sora over her shoulder, then transformed her armor into her glider. Holding Master's Defender high in the air, she opened a path to the Lanes Between. The barrier reappeared around Ven. It wouldn't last long without her maintaining it. She'd have to be quick.

Naturally, Xemnas and Ansem noticed the disturbance. They didn't waste any time blocking the exit. Of course. That would have been too easy. She sighed and started up her glider, instructing it to take off. They'd have to do this the hard way.

She went straight towards them, rapidly increasing her speed. Closer, closer—at the last possible second, she swerved away, heading towards the doors instead. They were quick to catch on, but so were her friends. They cast all manner of magic at her pursuers.

Faster, faster. The doors were so close. Xemnas created a barrier that halted her progress, and she looped around, back, back, back towards the portal. Suddenly Ansem was above her, his stupid Guardian blocking the way again. She barely missed the energy discs he threw at her, swerving underneath just in the nick of time.

This wasn't working. She'd have to try something else. As she swooped low past Riku, an idea came to her.

"Riku!" she called. He blocked an attack from Ansem's Guardian and looked up. She circled around back to him, readjusting Sora's weight and summoning Master's Defender. Getting as close to the floor as she dared, she tossed it towards him. "Turn the castle back! Quick!"

Master's Defender was technically hers now, by right of inheritance. But maybe, just maybe, it would recognize Riku's authority long enough to obey him. Terra had been the one to perform the ceremony on him after all, and Terra had been Eraqus's student.

Riku caught it, cartwheeling out of the way of Xemnas's Ethereal Blades. He looked confused for a moment, racking his brain for what she possibly could have meant.

"I transformed the Land of Departure to hide Ven!" she shouted. "Put it back to the way it was!"

He nodded and pointed the Keyblade at the throne where Ven had slept. BOOM. There was a blinding light and a great creaking, and the floor shook.

It was just the distraction she needed. Now was her chance. She flew higher, higher, swerving around every obstacle in her path. Higher still, until she was practically touching the ceiling.

There. The beautiful stained glass window, pride of the castle, was before her. Tinted light shone through it, forming colorful shimmering patterns all along the floor and walls. She'd always loved that window, and it was a crying shame what was about to happen to it.

 _Sorry, Eraqus._ She braced herself for the impact, holding Sora tight. CRASH. Thousands of pieces of colored glass shattered and fell to the ground as they escaped out the window. Riku opened up another path to the Lanes Between just long enough for them to make it through.

With that, the Battle of Castle Oblivion was finally finished. Sunlight streamed through the broken window, reflecting off of the shattered glass scattered all over the floor. The long night had ended at last.

"This isn't over," Ansem said, his threat echoing through the castle as he and Xemnas summoned Corridors of Darkness. They disappeared, and as they did, the Gummi Ship flew through the window. Donald carefully lowered it to the ground, settling on top of all the broken glass with a loud crunch. The engines powered down and the dust settled, and out hopped Goofy. He ran over to Mickey.

Riku spotted Ventus sitting on the ground nearby. He picked his way over the glass to the boy and offered him a hand up. Ven wobbled to his feet, but as soon as Riku let go, he fell back to the ground, his legs mush. Comprehension dawned on Riku's face as he put two and two together.

Ven hung his head. _I'm worse than useless. I'm a burden._ He'd been asleep for so long that his muscles had become weak. He couldn't even stand on his own anymore. But at least he could still summon his Keyblade. He'd tried to during the battle, and to his immense relief it had worked. There'd been no need to use it though; Xemnas and Ansem had largely ignored him. Seeing them had shocked him as badly as it had Aqua. He, too, had noticed the resemblance to Terra, and he was afraid to ask why.

And not only that. Seeing Xemnas and Ansem wasn't the only thing throwing him through a loop. It was downright strange, being back in his own body. For years he'd rested inside Sora's as a passenger, a bystander. He wasn't the one commanding muscles and sinews to do his bidding; that had all been Sora, except for the time Roxas had been in control. Now his arms and legs obeyed him again. Or at least they tried to.

"Here, let's try that again."

Ven looked up, surprised to see Riku was still offering his hand.

"Hang on a sec," Ven replied. After he'd fallen, he'd spotted the Key to Return Hearts, which still lay where Sora had dropped it. He hesitated for a moment before grabbing it, his hand grasping the cold metal. A shudder went down his spine, and he quickly tucked the Key into his pocket. There were still people inside Sora's heart that needed saving, and he was sure to want it back.

Now ready, Ven took hold of Riku's hand. It was then that he noticed the bandage wrapped around Riku's wrist. On the bandage was a smiley face that vaguely resembled his features, and next to it was a quickly scrawled message. Ven tilted his head left and right, trying to make out what it said.

"What's that?" he asked.

Riku pulled him to his feet, putting an arm around his shoulder to support his weight. "Oh, this?" Riku asked, a faint dusting of color spreading across his cheeks. "I-it's nothing. Just a good luck charm to help me reunite with my friends."

"I've got something like that too," Ven said, pulling his Wayfinder out of his pocket so he could show it to Riku. "Aqua made it for me. She made one for Terra, too." At the thought of his friend, Ven had to ask. He couldn't put it off any longer. "Do you – do you know where he is?"

Riku shook his head and took a few steps forward as Ven limped along beside him. "No. We've been looking, but we haven't found him yet. Sorry, Ventus."

He breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn't wanted either of those men to be Terra. He didn't want to think about Terra hurting Aqua like that, or forcing Sora to tear his own heart up in order to—

"Riku?" he asked, trying to shut such awful thoughts out of his mind.

"Yes?"

"You-you can call me Ven."

Riku helped him up into the Gummi Ship. "Alright, Ven. Let's get you out of here."

Ven looked outside the window at the walls of the castle as they flew away. Without Aqua, Terra, or Master Eraqus there, it was hardly home. He wondered if anywhere ever would be again.

oOo

Riku was exhausted by the time they got back to Yen Sid's tower. He still hadn't fully recovered from his own injuries, and supporting Ven's weight had only made things worse. It was with a great sense of relief that he finally lowered Ven down onto the chair Yen Sid had set out for him, slumping onto another chair nearby.

Sora was lying down in the corner. Someone had found a blanket and pillow for him, and Goofy and Donald had already gone to his side. He slept on, oblivious to everything that had happened. Aqua wordlessly returned Ven's armor to him, and he gave her the Key to Return Hearts, which she placed by Sora's head. Riku handed Master's Defender back to her, and she cast a Cure spell on him that eased his aching limbs and soothed his hurting back.

No one felt like saying anything. The battle was over, and they'd won, but at what cost? If Sora didn't wake up, then…

Presently, Mickey returned to the room with Yen Sid.

"Is there anything I can do?" Riku asked, jumping to his feet. "If his heart's asleep, I can dive into it again and—"

Mickey shook his head, his ears drooping. "You could probably wake him up if you did, but he'd be in a lot of pain."

Yen Sid sighed and closed his eyes. "We don't know the extent of the damage. It's best that we repair it before we try to wake him up. It is possible, albeit unlikely, that he will wake up on his own, but we can't risk doing it ourselves until we know it's safe to do so."

"I don't understand. All he did was take Ven's heart out, right? That alone shouldn't have hurt him this badly," Riku replied.

The old wizard sighed again and stroked his beard. "I don't know. All I can say is that something went terribly wrong during the process."

At the sorcerer's words, Ven looked stricken. "This is all my fault," he whispered, hanging his head in shame.

"No, it isn't," Aqua said, putting an arm on Ven's shoulder. "If anyone's to blame, it's me. Sora was worried something might go wrong, and I didn't listen to him."

The self-loathing in her voice was all too familiar to Riku. "No, Aqua. You can't blame yourself. Sora knew what he was doing. He knew it was risky. Otherwise he wouldn't have agreed to your plan in the first place," he said. "What he did – it was an act of desperation. He must have thought there was no other way to get Ven out of there. And as much as I hate to say it, I think he was right."

It was just like Sora to throw himself into danger, if it meant helping someone else. Aqua shouldn't take the blame for his reckless actions, especially since he'd technically succeeded in what he'd set out to do.

Goofy and Donald looked at each other. "Master Yen Sid," Goofy said. "We've got an idea. We think we know a way to help Sora."

"Yes, and I think I know what it is. Riku, surely you do too?"

All heads turned to him. The look of hope in Ven and Aqua's eyes bordered on desperation.

Of course. The answer was obvious. A deep sense of relief washed over Riku as he realized the key to saving Sora.

"Kairi. If anyone can help him, she can."

"Kairi?" Aqua asked, turning to Mickey. "That girl we protected?"

"Yup! The very same," Mickey replied.

A look of triumph crossed Aqua's face. "I knew she was special! There was this light in her heart. I cast a spell on her that would lead her to someone who would protect her."

Riku's eyes went wide. "You did? Is that how she ended up on Destiny Islands?"

"It must be!" Aqua let out a deep sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. Is she there now?"

Yen Sid spoke up. "She will be here shortly. I contacted Merlin yesterday and told him to bring her here today. Now it seems the timing couldn't have been better."

"So she can fix him?" Ven asked. After witnessing one thing after another go wrong, it was the best news he'd heard all day. Especially in light of the worry and guilt gnawing away at him. There was something he still needed to tell them, something important—

Donald and Goofy answered him, and the moment was over.

"Yup!"

"Of course!"

"When he – when he turned into a Heartless," Riku said, the topic at hand bringing back painful memories because of his role in it, "he could still hear her. The light in her heart reached out to his heart, and—"

"She reversed the Heartless transformation!"

"She restored his heart!"

"And you think she can help him again?" Aqua asked, her voice trembling with excitement.

"Of course!" Donald exclaimed.

"You said she reversed the Heartless transformation. Can she do that with other Heartless? Can the other Princesses of Heart?"

Goofy scratched his head. "Dunno. I think it's because she and Sora share such a special bond that she was able to do it."

Aqua raised an eyebrow. "A special bond?"

A swirl of black energy appeared before them, interrupting their conversation. They all gasped in surprise as they realized who it was.

"Axel!" Riku shouted. The redhead was carrying a very frightened-looking girl with golden hair and blue eyes. She wore a simple blue dress with a white apron, and she clung tightly to him even after he set her down. He was panting, sweat dripping down his face.

"Oh, come on. The name's—"

"Lea?"

All eyes turned to Ven. His head was tilted, recognition slowly dawning on his features.

Several different emotions warred across Lea's face at the sight of Ven. Shock. Longing. Confusion. Then comprehension. "Ro—no, I remember you. Ventus, right? Your name's Ventus." He smiled at Ven, but it didn't quite hide the pain in his eyes. "Long time no see."

"Yeah. You-you've grown." This observation came as somewhat of a shock to Ven. He knew that years had passed, but seeing such clear proof of it was still surprising.

"Well, yeah. It's been over ten years, hasn't it? Why haven't you?"

"Uh…" Ven looked to Aqua.

"Never mind. It'll have to wait." Lea whirled around to Yen Sid. "I've got bad news, old man. I think the Princesses of Heart are in danger. I brought Alice back here with me because I figured she'd be safer here. Xehanort launched a full out attack on her home world, and if he targeted her, who else is next?"

Mass chaos ensued until Yen Sid ordered everyone to be silent.

"Mickey and Riku, you must go to Aurora and Snow White and bring them back here at once. Aqua, Lea, go find Cinderella and Jasmine and do the same. I have a place I can hide them. Alice, come with me. I'll take you there now. No, wait. There's something you might be able to help us with first. That leaves Belle unaccounted for, but she has the best chance of staying safe the longest. Whoever arrives back here first will be sent to get her."

Everyone set about following Yen Sid's instructions. But there were a few people who hadn't been accounted for.

"What about us?" Donald asked, indicating himself and Goofy.

"You must stay and guard Sora and Ventus."

At this, Ven's face fell, but he didn't argue.

"Sora? What's wrong with Sora? Why can't he help?" Lea asked.

Everyone froze. There was a long silence. Lea looked around the room, searching for the answers to his questions. His eyes finally rested on Sora's unconscious form. The others could practically hear the wheels turning in his head as he put the clues together.

"Oh no, don't tell me—" A new thought occurred to him, and his face filled with dismay. "What will Kairi say? She's been looking forward to this for weeks. You should have seen her face when Merlin told her she'd get to see him!"

With every word Lea spoke, it was like he was twisting the knife that much deeper.

"Well, the good news, is she can probably fix him," Goofy said at last, trying to cheer everyone's spirits up.

"Probably? _Probably?_ "

Everyone who wasn't Alice, Lea, or Yen Sid winced.

"Speaking of which, what about Kairi?" Riku demanded. "Isn't she in danger too?"

Yen Sid answered him. "She's under Merlin's protection, and she will arrive here soon. I know you're worried about your friend, Riku, but not only has she made great progress in her training, she also has a powerful wizard guarding her. The other princesses aren't so fortunate. They need our help."

"Understood," Riku said. There was a deep sense of unease gnawing away at his gut, but he was too tired to argue. How he and Mickey were going to protect two princesses and escort them here, after all they'd already been through, was overwhelming enough a thought as it was. As he and Mickey turned to leave, he looked back at his sleeping friend one last time. "Hang in there, Sora. Kairi will be here soon." With that, they were gone.

Alice thanked Lea for all of his help, and the new Keyblade wielder was downright flustered at her gratitude, still not used to being considered a hero. He and Aqua were about to leave when Ven stopped her.

"Aqua, wait. There's something I've gotta tell you."

"What is it, Ven? I want to talk to you, I really do, but we have to go." She looked to Lea, and he simply shrugged. Her eyes shifted back to Ven. "Can it wait till later, or—"

"It's important, I promise," Ven insisted. "Do you remember Vanitas?"

Aqua frowned at the mention of the masked boy's name. "Of course I do. But why are you asking me this now?"

Ven gulped. "He – he was inside of Sora's heart."

"He _WHAT_?" Aqua's outburst made the whole room go quiet. Ven's heart pounded so loudly it thundered in his ears.

"We fought. He – I think it's his fault that Sora got hurt so badly. He kept pulling my heart back into Sora's body when Sora was trying to pull it out."

Dead silence.

Aqua tried very hard to keep her voice calm, but it came out sounding very strained instead. "Ven, why didn't you mention this sooner?!"

At the accusatory tone in her voice, Ven bristled. "There wasn't a good time!" he shot back.

"It seems Xehanort may have been after a new Seeker of Darkness," Yen Sid said.

A sheer look of panic filled Aqua's eyes. "Where is he now?" she demanded, clasping Ven's shoulders.

He refused to look her in the eye. "I – I don't know. He might still be inside of Sora. Or… he might have gotten out." She waited, and he finally looked up at her. "I don't know, okay?! I didn't see him after I woke up."

Aqua sighed, finally relenting. "I hope for Sora's sake the sick little freak isn't inside of him anymore, but it could mean trouble if he got out."

"That's just it. You've gotta be careful. If he's still working for Xehanort, he might—"

"Right. We'll be on the lookout for him." She gave Ven a quick hug. "You stay safe."

He hugged her back, more tightly than she was expecting. "You too."

"Okay, Lea. Let's go."

"At least someone around here's got it memorized," Lea muttered, more to himself than to Aqua. He gave Ven one last look before they left. With that, they were off to find Cinderella and Jasmine.

Alice cleared her throat. "Now, what is it you wanted my help with?" she asked.

Donald and Goofy motioned for her to come over. She sat down on the floor next to Sora, smoothing out her skirt and taking his hand. A frown crossed her delicate features as she sensed the state of his heart.

"Oh dear oh dear. His condition is quite serious, isn't it? Let me see what I can do to help." She put her hand over his heart and closed her eyes, a soft glow emanating from underneath her palm. "There. I'm afraid I can't wake him up, but that should ease his suffering."

They thanked her, and she bid them farewell and left with Yen Sid. Ven, Donald and Goofy guarded their sleeping friend as they waited patiently for Kairi's arrival. She'd called out to Sora's heart once, when he was lost in the dark, and it had been enough to bring him back to them. Recovering his memories of her had restored vast portions of his heart after nearly a year of sleep. If anyone could fix him, she could.

 _Kairi, please. We're all counting on you._

oOo

Kairi picked up her blue pen with the seashell charms and grabbed her diary. A small smile curved across her lips, betraying the excitement she felt.

She'd get to see Sora in less than an hour now.

She yawned, stretching as she stood, her muscles aching ever so slightly from the previous day's practice. She'd come inside the chamber to grab the diary so she could give it to him after they both made it to Yen Sid's tower.

She turned the light off in her little bedroom, crossed the hall, and entered the main room. Without Merlin's magic to bring it to life, it was more or less empty, a soft glow reflecting off the smooth floor and the row of doors on the wall. Walking towards the chamber's portal in the center, she summoned her Keyblade in order to open it up and return to Merlin's house and Radiant Garden.

It wouldn't budge. Frowning, she tried again.

Nothing. She tried the door she had just come through.

It was locked. So were all of the others.

"Merlin?" she asked nervously. "What's going on?"

Was this some kind of test?

She looked around, searching for clues. As she did, a dreadful, sickening sensation crawled over her. She knew what it was. She could sense it in most beings, to some extent or another. Even in her beloved Sora.

But not like this. Whoever was in here with her had more darkness in their heart than anyone she'd ever met.

"Hello, Princess," a voice whispered from the shadows.

Why… why did it sound so familiar?

oOo

"Kairi, my dear, are you ready?" Merlin called. Looking around the room and failing to spot her, he suddenly remembered her whereabouts. "Oh, that's right, you went inside the Time Chamber to get your diary, didn't you? You even asked for permission. I don't know what's come over me today. I've been quite forgetful."

He went over to one of the cabinets along the wall and opened it. There was something he wanted to give his student, a special potion that he knew would come in handy during her journey. He scanned the shelves for it, his eyes landing on the correct flask. "A-ha! There you—"

A gentle wind blew through the little house, snuffing out the candles and lamps one by one.

Merlin froze. _No, it can't be._

The room went dim, and slowly, softly, an ethereal voice echoed off of the walls, the notes of its song sounding at first as if they'd come from someplace far away, then growing ever closer and closer. The words of the woman's song painted a beautiful picture of the sea, the sapphire shore underneath its azure waves leading up to the same secret cave where she'd lured him last time.

"It's you, isn't it? How did you find me? It shouldn't be possible!"

Of course, Merlin knew he was the last person who should be spouting off about impossibilities. The how or why didn't matter anymore, not when the truth stared him in the face. And what a lovely face it was, just as beautiful as he remembered.

He was powerless against her magic. Completely and utterly powerless. He'd taught her everything he knew, and none of his usual safeguards would be effective.

But there was one thing he could do. As he slipped in and out of consciousness, he directed one last spell at the Time Chamber.

"Kairi, my dear, I'm sorry. I'm afraid this is one test I can't help you with. All I have are my words, so I leave you with this: your heart is your greatest weapon, but remember to think."


	11. Chapter 11 - Versus

Chapter 11 – Versus

"Who are you and what do you want?" Kairi demanded of the stranger standing before her, dropping her diary and pen to the ground. She summoned her Keyblade and held it in position as she focused on steadying the trembling in her hands.

"Don't you recognize my voice?"

She barely evaded his attack. She set up a quick barrier around herself to buy some time, and suddenly he was above her, slashing at her the moment her barrier was down. She parried the blow and tried to get in one of her own.

"Too slow," he taunted, now several feet away.

Kairi gritted her teeth, trying to place the person before her. His face was obscured by a helmet, and he wore dark red and black armor that covered his entire body, so any progress on that front was futile. All she had to go on was his voice. Time to make him talk.

"I think I would know if we'd met before. You've got a lot more darkness in your heart than most people."

He laughed. "As only a Princess of Heart like you would notice."

So it was as she suspected. This person knew who she was.

"You're working for Xehanort, aren't you?" It was an obvious conclusion, really. She was probably number one on the creep's hit list.

Sarcastic applause reached her ears.

"Ooooh, look at you! I'm impressed. You're fast. But not fast enough."

His attack came before she had time to register what was happening. He caught her square in the chest. The move sent her flying. She recovered in time to avoid crashing into the wall, but the impact of his blow left her gasping for air.

Well, she'd learned her lesson. Even after all of her training, she was severely outmatched. No time to talk, and time to get away before things got worse.

Looking at the portal again, a faint dark glow that had escaped her notice before caught her eye.

So that was it. He must have sealed the room shut. Well, she'd have to figure out a way to break the seal then. She didn't stand a chance if she couldn't. Merlin might not have even noticed anything was wrong yet, with the way time flowed differently in here.

With a sinking feeling, she realized that must have been why her attacker had ambushed her here. By the time help would arrive, it would probably be too late.

It was up to her to save herself.

She aimed a Blizzara at the seal, hoping magic might break it.

"Going so fast? But I was just getting started."

She dove into a dodge roll, escaping from him just in the nick of time. Panting, she healed herself and spent the next minute avoiding his attacks. When her magic was ready again, she tried Fira next. No dice. She managed to parry his next attack and even get a few quick blows in herself before retreating to focus on the seal again.

Thundara didn't work either. Nor did the succession of other magic spells she tried on it, going through most of her repertoire.

She was getting tired, and she was still no further along than she had been at the beginning of the fight. Panic settled in the pit of her stomach and gnawed its way through her innards, wrapping clammy fingers around her heart.

She'd have to try more powerful magic. Magic that she couldn't reliably cast yet.

She was about to attempt time magic when he caught her off guard with a pillar of ice. It threw her into the air and sent her sprawling.

"All that magic, and you aren't even using it on me." He grabbed her Keyblade where it had clattered away from her, giving it a closer inspection. She took his momentary distraction to scramble to her feet. "Hmmpphh, typical." Tossing it over his shoulder as it disappeared, he was suddenly behind her, though a shadowy illusion of him remained in his former location. He leaned over and whispered in her ear. "C'mon Kairi, you can do better than that."

A wave of shock surged through her. She knew why she recognized that voice.

"Sora?" she whispered, alarmed. No, there was no way…

She whirled around to face him. As if on cue, the front of his helmet dissolved away, revealing his identity. Sure enough, Sora's face stared back at her, though his eyes were a sickly yellow and his hair pitch black.

Oh no, had Xehanort— No, it couldn't be—

Kairi couldn't move. Her Keyblade, which had reappeared in her hand, hung limply at her side. Her mind raced, but her body wouldn't follow any of the instructions she tried to give it.

She couldn't fight Sora. She just couldn't. Bile rose in her throat at the mere thought.

"Gotcha."

He took full advantage of her surprise with a dive bomb attack that was his most powerful yet. Her feeble attempt at guarding simply lessened the full force of it. She crashed against the wall with a loud thud, tears springing to her eyes in pain.

Never in her entire life did she ever dream she'd have to fight him. He was the one person she could always count on. Whenever she was in trouble, whenever she needed him the most, he was always there.

 _Think, Kairi. If you were the one in trouble, he'd do everything he could to save you. You have to do something._

"What's this?"

Kairi's heart sank. He'd found the diary. He picked it up, turning it this way and that.

"Ooooh, it's your diary, isn't it?" A malicious smile snaked its way across his face.

"Please, don't—"

He opened it and flipped through the pages. Her breath caught in her throat as she watched, frozen. She'd wanted him to read it. Just… not like this.

What had Xehanort done to him? The Sora she knew wasn't cruel. He wouldn't ignore her pleas. And he'd never read her diary, especially if he had no idea it was written for him.

A lump built in her throat and her eyes watered. She could attack him now, while his guard was down. She might even be able to deal a decisive blow. Maybe that's what he would want. If he knew what he'd become, he'd almost certainly beg her to…

A frown formed on his face. "Worthless piece of trash," he muttered in disgust. He flung it over his shoulder and launched a volley of fireballs at it.

"How could you?!"

Kairi's scream echoed off the walls as she sent wave after wave of magic after him. One of her Blizzaras hit his leg, temporarily freezing him in place.

She ran over to where he'd dropped the diary, fearing the worst. Weeks and weeks of writing, all lost. She couldn't believe what he'd done. She expected nothing but ashes.

Instead, the little book was still intact. She almost burst into tears as she gathered the precious diary into her arms and hugged it to her chest.

 _Thank you, Merlin, thank you._ He must have put some sort of protective spell on it. That had to be why it hadn't been destroyed.

"Suffer!"

She put up her guard just in the nick of time, the diary falling to the ground once more. Her attacker's face was mere inches from hers as their Keyblades collided with each other.

"You're stupid. Why risk your life for a blank book?"

"Blank? It's not blank, it's—"

" _There you go, my dear. Now only you and Sora will be able to read it."_

" _Boo, you're no fun. I can't read it anymore. It's completely blank."_

There were two people in all the worlds that could read her diary. Whoever this fiend was, he wasn't one of them.

"You aren't Sora," she spat, shoving him away. As soon as she said the words, her confidence in them grew. Her diary was undeniable proof, but so was Sora himself. He would never hurt her like this. She believed that about him, now more than ever.

More cackling. "I really had you going there for a while, didn't I? You should have seen your face!"

Kairi wanted to punch him. How dare he steal Sora's appearance and use it against her. "Just who are you, anyway?" she demanded.

"I am the darkness in—"

She cut him off with a powerful magic combo. Blizzara. Fira. Thundera. Topped it off with Aerora, which knocked him clear into the air. She took her opening and moved in close to land a rapid succession of hits on him. Then cast Slow and retreated to heal.

He turned to face her. "Kairi, how could you?" he asked, in a perfect imitation of Sora's voice.

 _It's a trick Kairi, it's not really him!_ But her heart still skipped a few beats, and a wave of guilt washed over her.

He sent a volley of fireballs her way as she darted away from their smoky claws, breaking into a dodge roll. She retaliated with Zero Gravira, which knocked him into the air. Time to cast Haste on herself. Hit him with a rapid succession of blows. Cast Slow on him again. Back off.

She could do this. She could beat him, if she stayed focused and didn't make any stupid mistakes.

"Pretty Boy and the mouse haven't told you yet, have they?"

 _He's baiting you Kairi, don't listen to him!_ She landed another good combo on him, ignoring how much his cries sounded like Sora's.

She didn't get away fast enough this time. His counterattack left her reeling.

"Sora's heart shattered, and you weren't there to stop it."

His words stopped her dead in her tracks.

"What?"

He grinned wickedly. "So it's true, you really don't know! If they hid something so important from you, they really must not trust you."

What was he talking about?

"Wow, he must have felt so alone. You weren't there for him when he needed you the most. Not even after he became a Heartless for you. Some friend you are."

"You're lying!" Kairi cried. She lashed out, clumsily casting a series of spells that he easily evaded. His harsh laughter taunted her.

"It's true. The pain of all the weaklings imprisoned in his heart finally got to him. He tried to get one of them out, and, well, let's just say it didn't end very well."

That _did_ sound like Sora. He was so kind that it would be easy for someone to use his compassion against him. Maybe her opponent wasn't lying after all.

A mischievous spark filled his eyes. "I might have had something to do with that, by the way."

Kairi's blood ran cold. "What do you mean? What did you do to him?!"

"Nothing much. Too bad you didn't get to hear him scream. Tell me, has he always been that much of a wimp?"

Her heart raced. If what he was saying was true, then…

No, she couldn't allow herself to think about that right now. Merlin's words from their numerous training sessions flowed through her mind. _Focus, Kairi, focus!_ Even if her attacker was telling the truth, he was doing it for a reason. He was trying to throw her off, trying to weaken her defenses. Dwelling on what might have happened to Sora wouldn't help. She had to stay strong. She had to stay focused. There. The crackle of electricity in the air caught him square in the chest.

Still, her heart sank at even the possibility that she had failed Sora. _Sora, if what he's saying is true, then I'm so sorry. I should have been there for you._

But it wasn't too late. If there really was something wrong with his heart, she could help. But that meant she'd have to get away from this creep first, and that meant she had to beat him. She had to win.

He ground his teeth in frustration. "What's with you? Don't you care about him at all? You aren't even upset that you were too useless to save him."

That struck a nerve.

"Shut up!" she shouted. She wasn't useless, she'd prove it!

"Why don't you just give up already? You know he'll come save you anyway. Well, if he wasn't half dead. Not like that would stop him though." He yawned. "He can't resist playing the hero."

"No! I don't want him to have to rescue me anymore! Not again, not after he almost—"

He grabbed her from behind, pinning her arms behind her back as her Keyblade clattered to the ground.

Oh, great. Even with Lea's special training, her chances of overpowering him from such a position were low. But if he'd wanted her dead, he would have killed her long before now. What was he playing at?

"You don't understand me," he whispered in her ear. "You don't understand Sora. How could you? We have darkness in our hearts, and you don't."

It was like this guy could read her deepest thoughts and fears. Ever since she was a little girl, she'd known she was different from other people. It was true: she didn't know what it was like to have darkness in her heart. How could she possibly understand Sora's struggles?

"Tell me, Kairi. Don't all of us trapped inside Sora's heart deserve to exist just as much as he does?"

His words took her by surprise. "Trapped? What do you mean, trapped?" She had to keep the conversation going. The more he talked, the more time she had to think of a plan.

"I got stuck inside his heart before he even met you."

How? How had that even happened?

"If you really are telling the truth," she said at last, "I'm sure he'd help y—"

"Help? Please. His heart was my prison."

"That isn't true!" she retorted. If anything, Sora had probably saved the ungrateful little leech's life.

"It isn't? Then tell me, Kairi, why was your heart the only one he released when he had the chance?"

"He didn't know! If he had, he would've—"

"And he's not the only one with someone imprisoned inside him," Vanitas continued. "You've got someone trapped inside you too."

Her sense of inadequacy, always gnawing darkly at the back of her mind, was quickly morphing into a raging monster, fed on her self-doubt and his manipulative words. And now, wondering if Naminé might feel the same way as him, wondering if her Nobody might feel like she was trapped, with no way to be free—

He leaned in close, his face mere inches from hers. "I can help you. I, Vanitas, am made completely of darkness. Kairi, if you want to save Naminé, all you have to do is ask."

Her breath caught. He couldn't really help, could he? No, it must be another trap.

"What's the catch?" she asked.

He laughed. "There is no catch. I can show you how to use the darkness to help her. Only then will you be able to give her the existence she deserves. What do you say?"

"No." There was no way this wouldn't end badly for her or for Naminé. There had to be another way to help her friend. She kicked Vanitas in the shins, buying herself just enough time to break free of his grasp as he stumbled backwards.

He shook his head, wincing in pain. "Fine, have it your way. But like it or not, you're coming with me."

"No! I won't be a pawn in your stupid game anymore!" She summoned her Keyblade and held it up to his face defiantly.

His cruel laughter echoed around the room as he pushed her blade aside with his hand. "Too bad, pawn. It's not up to you." He teleported away, his afterimage lingering on in a snide sneer.

"You could have saved Sora too, you know," he said. "You fixed his heart once; you could do it again."

How did he know about that?

"I bet all your little friends are counting on you," he continued. "Too bad they'll have to come rescue you first before you're of any use." He appeared in another part of the room. "In fact, my master might even request an exchange. Your freedom for his heart and body. It would only be fair."

NO. She couldn't let that happen. She wouldn't. She shot a wave of magic after Vanitas, only for it to hit his afterimage. He'd already moved out of the way.

"Tell me, what do you think Sora would do if he knew I was attacking you right now? Think he might cry?"

Kairi's blood boiled. How _dare_ he mock Sora. The idiot teleported away from her attack _again_.

"Or rage?"

Teleport.

"Oh, I know, maybe he'd grovel at my feet for the chance to save you!"

Teleport. He was moving so rapidly she could barely keep track of where he was. His voice reverberated around the room till it seemed to come from every direction.

"He's such a pathetic weakling. All it takes to make him come completely undone is _you_."

Kairi hated how every word he said was true. Hated how easy it was for their enemies to use her against Sora.

"I can hardly wait. The look in his eyes, when he knows he was powerless to stop us. It's gonna begreat."

The attack that followed made all of his previous ones seem like child's play. It was all Kairi could do to defend herself and heal every now and then. Forget about launching any sort of offense, she was struggling to stay on her feet.

 _It's hopeless,_ she thought miserably. _He's going to win, and I'm going to be captured, and then my friends will do something stupid when they try to rescue me, and they'll be in danger, and I'll be-I'll be a burden again._

Her strength was giving out. She couldn't keep this up much longer.

 _No, I can't give up. My friends need me._

" _That's the spirit, Kairi,"_ a voice whispered. " _You've got to believe in yourself! Don't give up! It's not over yet."_

"Naminé?"

She felt a familiar rush of warmth in response.

" _You can do it, Kairi! I believe in you."_

She jumped out of the way of Vanitas's attack, putting up a barrier to protect herself. As she did, the words from her grandma's story calmed her heart. _"Remember, my child. Even in the deepest darkness, there will always be a light to guide you."_

Vanitas was there as soon as her barrier was down. Merlin's voice echoed through her mind. " _Think, Kairi, think!"_ She froze the ground, and they both went sliding.

" _Good. Use what you know about your opponent against him, Kai._ " She could almost picture Lea, waving his arms around as he lectured her.

" _C'mon, show him what you're made of!"_ Riku added. He still wore the bandage on his wrist, her message to him written on it. She tried to cast Slow on Vanitas, only to be interrupted and forced to guard his attack again.

" _May your heart be your guiding key,"_ King Mickey said.

" _You're not alone, Kairi!"_ Donald and Goofy cried.

A new voice entered her mind, one she'd heard once, so very long ago. _"Get him, Kairi!"_ A woman with blue hair and kind eyes cheered her on. Her Slow spell succeeded this time.

" _Don't let him get you down! You've got this!"_ There was a boy with Master Aqua, a boy with golden hair and blue eyes. Kairi was sure she hadn't met him before, and yet, he seemed strangely familiar. Vanitas sprung at her, and she rolled out of the way.

" _See, Kairi? They all believe in you. And so do I."_

Her heart stopped. It was the one person she wanted to see more than anything, wearing the biggest smile on his face. But something was wrong. A horrible pain overwhelmed her, and she staggered backwards, leaning against the wall for support. Tears welled up in her eyes with each agonized beat of his shredded heart. She slumped to the ground, her legs no longer capable of supporting her.

Vanitas stared at her in confusion, wondering why his opponent had suddenly stopped fighting. "What's the matter with you?" he demanded as he lunged at her. She held out her hand to block his attack, but it shook so badly that she nearly dropped her Keyblade.

"Sora, your heart—"

He choked out a sound that was somewhere between a laugh and a sob. _"It's pretty bad, I know. But I had to talk to you. I had to let you know, you're not alone, okay? I'm always with you."_

That was all she needed. Her fear melted away. Even the pain wasn't so awful, knowing that neither of them bore it alone.

"This time, I'll fight for you."

Summoning her remaining strength, she stood and prepared for one final attack.

Vanitas interrupted her multiple times, but it didn't matter. She shut out the pain from the various injuries she sustained. There wasn't time to heal anymore. She needed all of her magic. Everything hinged on pulling this off.

She wasn't sure she'd be able to do it. She'd only recently started working on this spell with Merlin, and her success rate had been terrible so far.

No, she couldn't think like that. She would succeed. She had to.

"Sora, this is for you."

She thought of his beautiful smile and his kind heart. Of the way his hair spiked up in the back and the sound his laughter made. How he could just doze off anywhere, with hardly a care in the world. How he refused to let anything keep him down, bringing light and joy and life to everything he touched.

Channeling all of those thoughts into her Keyblade, she raised it high in the air. Before Vanitas could react, wave after wave of light crashed into him, filling the room and shattering the dark seal, then breaking the walls of the Time Chamber itself and spreading far beyond it.

She'd meant to cast Faith, but whatever that was had been something far greater. Vanitas screamed, shielding his face from the relentless onslaught of light. Kairi collapsed onto the ground, her energy completely spent.

"What have you done?" he shrieked in horror.

"You're made of pure darkness, Vanitas. You don't understand the light." It felt _good_ to throw his smug words back in his face.

"You may be incorruptible," Vanitas hissed, "but _he_ isn't." With those ominous words hanging in the air, he opened a Corridor of Darkness and disappeared.

"Coward." Kairi would have been annoyed if she weren't so tired. A deep weariness had settled over her body and mind. With great effort she struggled to her feet, only to realize she was back in Merlin's house. She'd never been happier to see the cozy little place.

She limped forward. She had to find Merlin. Where was he? Without his help, she had no way of getting to Sora.

"Merlin, where are you?" she called, knocking some books off of a shelf as she staggered against it. "Sora needs me. I've got to go to him!"

Silence.

"Merlin, _please._ " Her voice cracked and her eyes watered. She rested her head against the bookcase, exhaustion and frustration overtaking her.

 _What does it matter if I won, if I'm not there for him when he needs me the most?_

In her distress, she didn't hear the door open.

"Sora, I'm sorry," she choked out. "I'll find a way to save you, I promise." She wiped her eyes. If Merlin couldn't help her, maybe Cid could. He had a Gummi Ship. Who cares if it was broken, she'd find a way to—

"Kairi."

That voice – no, it couldn't be. Her breath caught in her throat as she looked up.

"I-I'm back."

She couldn't believe her eyes. There he was, standing in the doorway, tears shining in his eyes and a huge smile on his face. She sobbed and stumbled her way to him as he ran to her, closing the distance between the two of them at long last.

oOo

A/N: After all the radio silence, here, have an extra long author's note! I felt like it would have ruined the tension of the last couple of chapters to break the flow of the story with my commentary otherwise.

The inspiration for this chapter came from one of those "What two characters do you want to see fight?" discussions. All the dramatic potential that comes from Kairi fighting someone who looks almost exactly like Sora was too good an opportunity to pass up.

I also wanted to show how far Kairi's come. This was her moment to shine. While her friends gave her inspiration and encouragement, she had it within her to win all along.

Oh, and one of the moments in this chapter, when Vanitas taunts Kairi and says she doesn't understand the struggles her friends deal with, was inspired by Hallsth-Eien's doujinshi called After Battle.

A big thanks to anyone reading this for the Sora/Kairi moments. You all are very patient, and hopefully you feel like your persistence has paid off.

And as always, thank you for reading!


	12. Chapter 12 - The Princess and the Witch

Chapter 12 – The Princess and the Witch

Sora wandered aimlessly through the remains of his heart. He was lost in the depths of sleep, a dull, throbbing sensation his only companion. All sense of time was gone; whether mere moments or an eternity had passed, he didn't know. His only reality was the slow, pained beating of his own heart and the ruined landscape around him.

Disjointed memories. The waters of the pool by the Secret Place were red. So were the waves by the shore, crashing crimson against the blackened sand. The paopu tree had splintered, its fruit scattered all over the ground. When he tried to pick one up, it rotted away in his hands. Not even the little shack could offer him shelter. Lightning had struck it, cleaving it in two. Everywhere he looked, there was nothing but chaos and destruction.

He collapsed onto the ground, and the sand dug into his back, much sharper than he had expected. He cried out, and the tears that escaped his eyes stung his cheeks.

 _What's happening to me?_

He sank, deeper and deeper still, till the sand had completely engulfed him. He fell down a dark pit before landing on a cold, hard surface. It was covered with colorful pieces of jagged glass. Shards of it cut into his skin, but he was too exhausted to move. His heart ached, and he just wanted the pain to end.

In his loneliness, he cried out to his friends. But there was no response. It was cold, and he found himself wishing for warmth.

Just when he'd nearly given up hope, there was a quiet whisper that echoed deep into the depths of his heart.

"Sora," a familiar voice called.

Heavy lids fluttered opened. Before him stood a girl in a simple white dress and blue shoes. She held a sketchpad in one arm, and her golden hair was draped over one shoulder. Big blue-violet eyes gazed down at him, and the mere sight of her moved him deeply.

"Naminé? Is that really you?" he asked. He sat up to make sure. The gentle warmth from her smile filled his heart, and it was so good to see her again that his eyes watered.

Now. Now was his chance. He could finally say the words he'd waited so long to tell her.

"Naminé," he said. "I just wanted to—"

She put a finger over her lips. "Sorry, It'll have to wait. I'm here because I wanted to warn you."

"Warn me?" Sora asked, frowning.

 _Warn me? Don't tell me, did Ventus—_

Her eyes were filled with a deep sadness, and she paused before she spoke again. "Yes, Sora. Kairi's in danger."

His heart froze. A million horrible possibilities flooded his mind. No no _no_. She was supposed to be safe. Merlin was taking care of her, wasn't he? What had happened?

 _This is my fault. They'll always be after her, all because I—because I—_

"She's fighting very bravely, but her attacker is relentless."

"Naminé, please," he begged, grabbing her hands as her sketchpad clattered to the ground, "Where is she? What's happening? Who's attacking her?"

She shook her head. "I don't think you'll be happy to—"

"Tell me."

She sighed and closed her eyes. "It's Vanitas."

A horrified cry escaped his lips. It wasn't enough that Vanitas had attacked him and sabotaged his attempt to rescue Ventus; now he was after Kairi too. This really was his fault. Intentionally or not, he was the one who had set Vanitas free. The lump in his throat tightened, and more tears threatened to spill out at any moment. What would he do to her if—

Naminé's soothing voice interrupted his panicked thoughts. "Don't worry. She has it in her to defeat him, I know she does. But there's something only you can give her, something I think will help."

"Something only I can give her?" he asked. He wished Naminé would speak more clearly. He could barely focus on her cryptic words in his current state of mind.

 _Something only I can give her… something only I can give her…_

Her expression grew very serious as she prepared to deliver the next part of her news. "Yes. But Sora, it won't be easy. Your heart is badly injured, so much so that you've fallen into a deep sleep. It's your heart's way of protecting itself from further damage."

Sora was silent as the implications of what she said sank in. "I have to wake up, don't I?"

She nodded.

"I woke Ventus up. That means… I should be able to wake my own heart up too, right?"

"But don't you see?" Naminé cried. Her lip trembled, her eyes filling with tears. "What I'm asking you to do is terribly dangerous. I don't know what forcing your heart awake will do to you. It should be possible, but I don't think it's been done before."

He smiled sadly. "It doesn't matter."

"Yes, it does. You'll be in unimaginable pain—"

"I don't care."

Naminé was silent for a moment. She struggled to bring her emotions under control, her voice forced when she finally spoke again. "I thought you might say that.

The way to help Kairi… it's a power you've rightfully earned, little by little, with every friend you've made."

"I have?" Sora asked. He'd always known his power came from his friends, but what Naminé was saying made it sound like something more, something greater.

"Yes. It's the kind of power Xehanort desires, but can never have. You'll know what to do when the time comes." She turned to leave.

"Naminé, wait!" he cried. "I still haven't—"

It was her turn to give him a sad smile. "Save it for the next we meet, okay? Kairi's waiting."

oOo

The something only he could give her, as it turns out, was something that was already hers. It had been for a long time.

One by one, he linked the hearts of their friends to his, forming one long, connecting chain that finally reached her. The light of her heart shone as bright as ever, the same light that always called him out of the darkness.

He'd done it to encourage her, to show her that even during her lowest of lows, she was never alone. That was the promise they had made to each other, and he wasn't about to let an injured heart stop him from keeping it. Even if the pain was so excruciating that he could barely breathe.

What he wasn't expecting was her response. She shared his pain, providing some much-needed relief to his wounded heart. It was a welcome respite from all the people whose hurt he carried on top of his own.

But then she went above and beyond. All of a sudden, he was overwhelmed by a flood of memories and feelings. With a sob, he realized they weren't his own. She'd sent them his way, using the connection he'd created in a way he didn't even know was possible.

He treasured each and every one of them, taking them in until his heart was filled to the brim. Each memory filled a hole; each tender feeling repaired a gash, and the light from her heart knit the scattered pieces of his back together, one by one, till it was whole once more.

It would be difficult to find a heart that shone more brilliantly than his did in that moment. His suffering was over, the damage he'd sustained from saving Ventus, as well as his struggle with Vanitas, completely gone.

When he said her name, it was with the utmost reverence and devotion. He wanted nothing more than to see her smile again, to hear her laugh and hold her safe in his arms. He had to show her how thankful he was for what she'd done. It was with that thought that he was reunited with her at last.

oOo

 _This isn't a dream. This is real._

Kairi wrapped her arms around Sora and leaned against him, too overwhelmed to stand on her own any longer. He pulled her close and buried his face in her hair, his whole body trembling with emotion.

He was really here. He was safe and whole.

They rested in each other's arms, their separation over at long last. Every moment together was to be treasured, every second precious.

In the end, she was the first to pull away. She wanted to see for herself. To make sure. Looking up into his eyes, she placed a hand over his heart. The gentle thud of his heartbeat beneath her fingertips told her what she needed to know, and there wasn't even a hint of the pain and anguish from before in his eyes.

He placed his hand over hers. For once, it wasn't covered by a glove; instead, he wore a bracer, and she could feel the rough texture of his callouses as his fingers rested against the back of her hand.

"See? Good as new."

She choked back a sob. "But how? Your heart was—"

He brought her hand to his lips and brushed it against them, closing his eyes and sighing deeply. The tender gesture sent shivers down her spine.

When he looked up at her again, his expression was serious. "Y-yeah, it was. But you saved me, Kairi. Thank you."

"I-I did?" She was having a difficult time thinking straight.

He smiled and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Yeah, you did."

"Oh." Comprehension dawned on her face as she put the pieces together. " _Oh_." She'd experienced his pain directly, but she hadn't known for sure that the connection went both ways. Her cheeks flushed as she realized the implications of her success. "It worked! So you felt…"

Her voice, as well as her thoughts, trailed off when she noticed the look in his eyes.

"M-hmmm." The little grin on his face when she finally put two and two together was downright unfair, the way it made her insides turn to mush.

Well, two could play this game.

She lifted her hand up to his head and ran her fingers through his hair. It was surprisingly soft, and he'd changed his hairstyle, too. It looked good. She cupped his cheek in her hand, brushing his lips with her thumb. His breath hitched, and she smiled coyly, taking a certain satisfaction in how easy it had been to get a reaction from him.

What she wasn't expecting was his response. There was a thrilling sense of urgency, of desperation and longing and need, in the clumsy way he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to him. Her stomach lurched and her heart pounded as she looked up into his eyes. He leaned in close, his breath tickling her cheek. She closed her eyes, and—

The door flew open with a loud crash. Donald was standing there, a fierce glare on his face. If looks could kill, the one Sora gave him would have left the duck dead where he stood. Kairi had to stifle a laugh, the absurdity of the situation almost enough to make up for her reunion with Sora being interrupted.

"Sora! Don't scare us like that again!" Donald shouted. He was panting for breath, and as Sora took in his distressed state, his expression softened. He leaned down and pulled Donald into a hug.

"Sorry. I'm okay now, see?"

Donald scowled at him. "One moment you were lying on the ground, and the next you were jumping out of the ship! What was I supposed to think?"

Kairi raised an eyebrow. "You jumped out of the Gummi Ship?"

Sora set Donald back on the ground. "I couldn't wait to see you. Don't worry, I'm fine."

She chuckled and shook her head. "Now who's being reckless?"

"A-hyuck, Kairi's right. It's better to wait till we land before jumpin' out."

"Goofy!"

"Oh, hey there Kairi! Boy, I sure am glad you're okay."

She smiled at him, but Sora rolled his eyes. "Gimme a break. The Gummi Ship was about to crash anyway," he muttered.

Goofy hadn't come alone. Next to him was the same blond-haired boy who'd cheered her on during her fight with Vanitas. He leaned against Goofy for support, his eyebrows knit with worry. But when his eyes rested on Sora, his entire face lit up. He stumbled towards him, and Sora caught him and pulled him into a hug.

"Y-you're okay."

"Y-yeah. You too, Ventus."

Ventus laughed. "You can call me Ven, you know." When he pulled away to look at Sora, he was beaming with pride. "Thank you, Sora. For everything."

Goofy pulled up a chair for Kairi, and she gave him a grateful look and sank into it.

"So that's Ventus, huh?"

"Yup. He was in Sora's heart for a very long time."

As Kairi watched them interact with each other, she smiled. "I can see it. He's got Sora's mannerisms."

"Or maybe, Sora's got his mannerisms."

Kairi let that sink in for a moment, thinking through the implications of what Goofy had said. Was it possible Sora would change without Ventus's heart inside of him?

As she thought about what that might mean, Sora brought Ventus over to her.

"Kairi, there's someone I'd like you to meet," he said, a big smile on his face.

"Nice to meet you, Kairi! I'm Ven." He held out his hand, and she shook it.

"Nice to meet you too, Ven." She liked him already. He had a different feel than most people, and she was trying to put her finger on what it was.

In the meantime, Donald had located another chair. He brought it over for Ven, and Ven thanked him and sat down. As Sora watched, he crossed his arms and furrowed his brow, the way he always did when he was thinking. His face lit up soon afterwards, a sure sign he'd come up with a solution.

"I've got it! Ven, why don't we get you some crutches? At least until you've got your strength back."

Ven was very pleased with the idea. "That'd be great. It'd be nice to be able to move around on my own again."

"Then it's settled. We'll find some for you."

Kairi smiled at Sora, his consideration for other people one of the things she liked the most about him. Some things would never change, it would seem. But there was something else on her mind, something that Sora had said earlier which had gotten lost amidst all the hustle and bustle. She was curious, though, about how that particular set of circumstances had come to be, and in the end, curiosity won out.

"I hate to ask, but, um, why was the Gummi Ship crashing?" she asked him.

Donald and Goofy exchanged nervous glances.

"Well, you see, Xehanort and his cronies attacked us as we were tryin' to leave Master Yen Sid's tower—"

"He attacked you?!"

Donald nodded. "I flew the ship up to the window—"

"I'd already gotten Ventus onto the ship, but I had to jump to get Sora and I on there too—"

"We barely got away—"

"If Sora hadn't woken up when he did and insisted we come here, we would've been captured. Xehanort was after him." Ven said. He looked at Kairi and knit his eyebrows together, his eyes filling with guilt as he looked down at the floor. "And you, too. I'm sorry, Kairi."

Kairi tilted her head, not quite sure what to make of his words. Vanitas had attacked her, of course, but what that had to do with Ven, she had no idea. "What do you mean?" she asked him.

Ven was about to answer her when Donald cut in. "Wak! Where's Merlin?"

Kairi gasped. How could she have forgotten about her missing teacher? "I haven't been able to find him anywhere! I was looking for him when you came in, Sora."

"Somethin' musta happened. He wouldn't just leave you alone like that," Goofy said.

"We've gotta find him," Sora said.

They began a thorough search of the little house. Sora offered to let Kairi rest, but she insisted on helping. Together with Donald and Goofy, they looked everywhere, leaving no corner unchecked.

Nothing. Merlin wasn't anywhere to be found.

"Where is he?" Sora wondered. He looked to Kairi, who shook her head. With every passing moment, she was more and more worried about Merlin's safety.

"Everyone, come here, quick!" Ven shouted.

Sora brought her over, and Donald and Goofy gathered around. Ven pointed to a curious sight in the corner of the wall next to him. Engraved in the gnarled knots and ridges of the wood were the vague outlines of a man's face.

"Wak!"

"It's Merlin!"

"How did he—"

Ven aimed his Keyblade at it to see what would happen. Sure enough, it glowed with a faint golden light. It was clear the wall was enchanted, but now what? Simply using the Keyblade hadn't been enough to free Merlin. They all inched closer to inspect it. Maybe there was some button they had to push or a magic spell that would—

"Hang on!" Sora said. He turned to Kairi. "I think he's asleep. I've gotta wake him up." He carefully lowered her to the ground. "Guard me, will you?" She nodded, and he sat down next to her. With that, he summoned his Keyblade and pointed it at the wall.

oOo

"Merlin! Can you hear me? You've gotta wake up."

Nonsense, my boy. I'm not asleep.

"Don't you remember what happened? No one just up and turns into a wall!"

There was a long pause.

"Okay, never mind. Kairi says that's something you might actually do. But you wouldn't abandon her like that, would you?"

Abandon? Don't be silly.

"Fine. I guess I have no choice."

There was another pause, and then a loud banging outside on the door.

Merlin glowered at it. He just wanted his peace and quiet, thank you very much. He waved his wand at it, and the door was sealed shut. There. He had turned his attention back to his eggs and toast when—

BANG BANG BANG. The intruder was quite persistent.

"Merlin, it's Kairi."

What about Kairi?

"She's exhausted. She just fought Vanitas. She used all of her magic to heal my heart, and now she's guarding my body so that I can wake you up! C'mon, stop being so stubborn!"

The door opened. "She did what?"

Sora entered the little room. "Finally," he muttered, briefly taking in his surroundings before holding a hand out to Merlin. "C'mon, you gotta come with me."

"Not until you answer my question, boy."

Sora groaned. "I already said, I connected our hearts together, and—"

"Well, you didn't say that part before."

"I – now you're just messing with me!"

"It's remarkably easy to do, I might add. What did Kairi do?"

Sora grew very serious. "My heart was hurt really badly, and she fixed it."

"How?"

"Well, Naminé warned me she was in danger while I was asleep, so I forced my heart awake. I… I was in a lot of pain, but I wanted to encourage her. One by one, I linked the hearts of our friends together and asked them for help. She used that connection to heal me."

Merlin pounded a hand on the table, causing Sora to jump. "She's done it! By George she's done it! Sora, my boy, do you know what this means?"

Sora looked confused. "What?"

Merlin smiled. "She's discovering the extent of her powers. I can see now what she was missing during all of her training. Just you watch her. She's fighting for the right reasons now. She'll be unstoppable."

Sora returned the smile. "Oh, believe me, I know."

Merlin stood up at last. "Well then, shall we?"

Sora nodded, and with that, they left the little room and woke up, returning to their waiting friends.

oOo

"Merlin!" Donald and Goofy cried in relief.

"Merlin?" Kairi asked, happiness and confusion warring on her face. "How—"

Merlin straightened his spectacles and smoothed out his robes, brushing off pieces of bark onto the floor. "She got me again, I'm afraid. I don't know how she came here, of all places, or why she turned me into a part of the wall, but I'm hopeless against her magic. I taught her everything I know, you see."

"Who?"

Merlin waved his arms in dismissal. "Never mind about that. Thanks to my foolish mistake, you were in terrible danger. How will you ever forgive me?"

"It's not your fault," Kairi said. "Please, don't blame yourself."

Merlin looked as if she had just lifted a great weight off of his shoulders. While he hadn't really answered her question, she was just relieved to see he was okay. There had been too many near misses today already, and thinking about all of them reminded her of how very tired she still was. She was about to ask if there was somewhere she could rest when Sora intervened. He picked her up, cradling her gently in his arms. She rested her head against his shoulder, and the tender look in his eyes made her heart melt.

"You were magnificent, Kairi. Absolutely magnificent," Merlin said. "Sora told me all about what you did."

Her cheeks turned red at her teacher's praise. "I couldn't have done it without your training."

"Yes, well, while I'm sure it helped, that's not what let you _win._ " Merlin's eyes twinkled. "Surely you know what did?"

She looked at Sora and smiled. "Yeah, I do."

"Then my job as your teacher is complete. I've taught you everything I can."

Kairi looked at him again in disbelief. Surely he didn't mean—

But he didn't even seem to notice her surprise. Instead, he cast a series of spells over the house, muttering words under his breath. He frowned when he spotted the broken portal to the Time Chamber and raised his eyebrow at Kairi. She winced, but he just shrugged and cast magic on it. It opened to several different mysterious realms before she spotted the familiar hallway with its series of doors.

"There. Your room should be back to normal. You can rest there, if you'd like."

Sora frowned. "Isn't that dangerous? It's where she was attacked, right?"

"Don't worry, I adjusted the flow of time before I fell asleep," Merlin said. "And I just put new protective spells on the house. We should be safe here."

Kairi's eyes went wide. Suddenly, it all made sense. The mystery of how Sora was able to reach her so quickly was solved. "You did? Is that why—"

She was interrupted by the sound of the front door flying open. Her eyes went wide with shock at the sight of who was there.

"Sora! Kairi! Are you alright?"

"Riku!" Sora, Donald, Goofy, Kairi, and Ven all cried out at once.

"Riku, my boy, would you do me a favor?" Merlin asked. "Would you prop the door open for me? You will not be the last of my guests today."

Kairi looked at Sora. The sheer look of relief in his eyes made her wonder what sort of danger Riku had been in. She nodded at him, and he set her down. Together, they made their way towards Riku. He threw his arms around the two of them in a rare show of physical affection.

"Y-you okay there buddy?" Sora asked, surprised by his friend's sudden hug. But he didn't waste any time hugging him back, and neither did Kairi.

Riku pulled away to look at them. She couldn't help but notice the worry lines etched into his face and the dark bags under his eyes. He had to be exhausted. She wondered when was the last time he'd gotten some sleep.

"You had me worried sick," he said to Sora.

"I could say the same to you," Sora replied, a pained look in his eyes at whatever incident he and Riku were referring to. Kairi was growing increasingly alarmed by their exchange. It was bad enough that Sora had gotten seriously injured. What on earth had happened to Riku?

"I'm fine. Next time, though, you better give me more warning than just 'Riku, cover me!'"

His impression got a weak chuckle out of Sora. "You knew I was gonna do it anyway."

Riku glared at him. "Which is why I told you not to." When he turned to Kairi, though, his expression softened. "Kairi, I'm glad you're safe. You fought well."

Kairi smiled. The bandage was still wrapped around his wrist. Her magic had worked, just like she'd promised. They were all together again, at last.

"Thanks, Riku."

She pushed the nagging thought out of her mind that wondered how long it would be before they were separated again, and what sort of trials they would have to go through to be reunited. She brought them all together again for another hug in an attempt to banish it for good.

Afterwards, Riku started to explain all that had happened on his mission to rescue Aurora and Snow White. The two princesses were safe now, but he and Mickey had run into trouble on Snow White's world when Young Xehanort himself had shown up. Before he could finish his story, though, Ven him asked a question.

"How about Aqua? Has she come back yet? Is she okay?"

Riku stopped speaking. His expression turned grim, and a sense of dread filled the room.

"R-Riku?"

"She – she's back, Ven, but—"

"But what?"

Riku paused, and Kairi feared the worst.

"Tell me. _Please._ " Ven begged.

Riku sighed. "I guess there's no use in hiding the truth. When she and Lea were rescuing Cinderella, they found Terra."

Hope, that most dangerous of emotions, overtook Ven for a fleeting moment. "Is he with her now? Can I see him?"

Riku shook his head. "He – he's not himself, Ven. I'm sorry. Xehanort still has him."

oOo

A/N: Thank you for reading! Hope you liked the chapter.

:grabs Donald and runs for the hills:


	13. Chapter 13 - Hope

Chapter 13 – Hope

 _Just a little bit further._

Aqua wondered if Lea's black coat really protected him as well as he said it did. She'd take the security and protection of her armor, which was also a huge help during battle, over a simple coat any day.

His ability to summon Corridors of Darkness, though – that was useful. Though the first time he'd done it, she'd wondered for a moment whose side he was really on. But she'd gotten Jasmine to safety with relative ease thanks to his help. After that, his intentions seemed sincere enough.

They were on the way to the Castle of Dreams now, running through an endless sea of swirling color. Even with the shortcut the Corridors provided, there was no time to waste. The loss of a single Princess of Heart to Xehanort would be catastrophic, forcing the very clash they were trying to avoid.

"Here, I think this is it," Lea said, pointing to a glowing portal. They walked through the bright light, and sure enough, a resplendent red staircase stretched before them. Hundreds of guests filed about, dressed in their finest attire. Ball gowns, jewels, suits, glitter, goblets, and platters of food were everywhere as far as the eye could see.

Every guest was wearing a mask and a costume, and Aqua realized they'd just crashed a party and she was horribly underdressed. All eyes turned to the strangers who had just appeared out of a swirl of black smoke. What a sight they made indeed, Aqua in full armor, and Lea in his black cloak.

"Might want to lose the helmet," Lea remarked under his breath. He'd let his hood down, his red hair broadcasting their presence to the world.

"Oh, right." She pressed the armor piece on her arm to put it away. Her eyes scanned the crowd for Cinderella, and she called the princess's name. There was no way they wouldn't make a scene, and at this point, anyone could be hiding in the crowd. Best to make it clear who she was and what her intentions were immediately.

"Aqua? Is that really you?" a voice called from up high. Cinderella was at the top of the stairs with her prince, and at the sight of her old friend, she was overjoyed.

"Your Highness!" Aqua raced up the stairs with Lea close behind. He muttered a series of apologies for every person they bumped into. Aqua thought about warning Cinderella she was in danger, but she didn't want to alarm her or her guests. Best to do it in private.

On her way up the long flight of stairs, she didn't notice the mysterious stranger winding his way through the crowd towards them.

"Is everything alright?" Cinderella called.

"May I speak with you in private, please?" Aqua asked. They were so close now.

Cinderella exchanged a look with Prince Charming. When she turned to Aqua again, it was with a very concerned expression.

"Yes, this way pl—"

Someone grabbed Aqua's arm and yanked her into the crowd. The guests cried out in alarm, scattering this way and that as whoever had just ambushed her hauled her along. He was exceptionally strong, and none of her efforts to free herself were working. She could summon her Keyblade, but she was reluctant to use it here. There were too many people who could get caught up in any fighting that might break out. They were running away, at least, but—

"Lea! Take Cinderella to safety!" she shouted. "I'll handle—"

"Oh, you'll be doing nothing of the sort." They'd stopped, and her attacker turned to face her. His black hood hid his face. He summoned his Keyblade and attacked, and she was left with no choice. His Keyblade collided with hers, and the blue eye encased within it gazed down at her.

"Xehanort?"

His lips curved into a smile. He removed his hood, and at the sight of his face, her entire world came crashing down.

 _My sacrifice… was it really all for nothing? Does this mean that all this time, Xehanort's been in the Realm of Light because of me?_

She felt sick to her stomach at the thought. She could only imagine what havoc and destruction he had wrought in her absence.

And worse still was the realization that Terra must still be trapped, trapped and forced to do the bidding of the one who had so cruelly invaded his heart and body. As the horror of that realization sank in, she collapsed to her knees.

She had no idea where Lea was anymore or if he'd even gotten Cinderella to safety. All she knew was that she'd failed utterly and completely, and Terra was suffering because of it.

"Terra, I'm so sorry." She couldn't help it; the tears flowed from her eyes, streaking her cheeks and clogging up her nose and throat. She was so lost in her own misery that she didn't notice the change in his expression, didn't see him frown in reaction to her distress or the way he dropped his Keyblade to the ground, covering his face as it contorted in pain.

"Aqua, _get away from me_."

She froze, the sobs dying in her throat. Could it really—

"Aqua, _run!_ " She looked up to see him slowly backing away from her, a tortured expression on his face as he fought to keep control.

"Terra!" She couldn't abandon him, she had to—

"Xehanort? Since when did— Aqua, we've gotta get out of here!" Lea was back, and he'd grabbed a hold of her arm and yanked her to her feet, trying to pull her back to the Corridor he'd just come through. She struggled fiercely against him.

"Let go of me! Let go! You don't understand! That's not Xehanort, that's my friend Terra! I've got to—"

"Aqua. You can't help him. Not like this."

She whirled around, ready to argue with him. What she wasn't expecting was the look of complete understanding and compassion he gave her. There was a deep sadness in his eyes, and it made her second guess her decision. She turned back to Terra. Everyone else had left. It was just the three of them now.

He groaned. "Ven…"

"Ven's awake! He's awake and he's fine!"

For a fleeting moment, his lips twitched into a small smile. Then it was over. Xehanort summoned his Guardian, and Lea pulled her back into the Corridor just in the nick of time.

"Terra! _Terra!_ "

oOo

"Here." Someone draped a blanket around her shoulders, and she clutched it tightly.

"H-he's been trapped – all this time he's been trapped, all alone—"

"Aqua, it's not your fault." There was a voice, but it seemed so very far away.

"Yes, it is! Nothing I did mattered! It was all for nothing!"

"You protected Ven, and you delayed Xehanort's plan. That isn't nothing."

"But Terra— he's still—"

"We'll find a way to save him."

She was vaguely aware of the hand that now rested on her shoulder.

"But how? It's hopeless. He told me himself, when I was in the Realm of Darkness. Xehanort's a part of him now. He'll never be free."

"Aqua, there's always hope. You can't give up."

How did he know? How could he speak so confidently about something so uncertain? She stared up into blue-green eyes, hoping to find the answers there.

"Ansem possessed me. But unlike Terra, I willingly gave into him. I welcomed the darkness. I hurt Sora, and I let our world fall to the Heartless. But you know what? Sora and Kairi forgave me, in spite of everything I'd done. If I can overcome my darkness and control it instead of letting it control me, if I can find redemption and freedom, Aqua, then so can Terra."

Each word he spoke was a lifeline, offering more comfort to her despairing heart than empty platitudes ever could. Here was living proof that all was not lost, that Terra could still be saved.

What happened afterwards was hazy. He'd said more, compassionate and soothing words that had brought her great comfort, but her memories blurred together and she couldn't remember them. What she did know was that the pain was no longer unbearable, and she clung to the hope he'd given her, letting it drive her forward. She would save Terra. And better yet, she wouldn't be doing it alone.

In the meantime, there was someone else who was hurting, someone else who needed comfort. For that purpose she stood at the door where he rested. She knocked, hoping he was awake.

"Ven? Can I come in?"

There was no response. Aqua sighed, not sure what to do. She leaned her head against the door, closing her eyes. "Ven, _please._ I need to talk to you."

Still no response. Maybe a different approach was in order.

"Ven, Terra needs our help."

"Come in."

She sighed in relief and opened the door. Ven was sitting on the bed, the covers undisturbed. The dull, pained look in his eyes made her heart break. It was like when he'd first come to live with them, and she didn't know how to help him this time. There was no easy fix for the problem, no quick way to bring Terra back.

In the end, she settled for sitting at the foot of the bed, careful to give him his space.

"Did you know?" His voice was flat and emotionless, but the hidden accusation hit her like a ton of bricks.

"I – I fought him, before, when I first went to look for him. It was after I hid you. But I thought he would—"

"So he's been like this the whole time I was asleep?" Ven finally looked her in the eyes. His lip quivered, and Aqua felt like crying again herself. "He's been trapped inside his body while Xehanort's done whatever he wants to him?"

Each word was like a dagger in her heart. And being reminded that the horrible violation Terra had endured was Xehanort's doing made her blood boil.

"He's fighting, Ven. I know he is. We can't give up hope. Riku thinks it's possible for him to overcome Xehanort's possession. And the others want to help, too."

Ven gave her a miserable look. "What will it cost us this time? Sora's life?"

Aqua didn't know what to say to that. Sora was fine now, but only because Kairi had saved him. The absolute agony she'd felt when he'd asked her to encourage Kairi would stay with her forever. She wouldn't ask him to go through that torment ever again, not for anything.

The problem was, she had no doubt he would choose to if it meant saving someone else, especially now that he knew Kairi could undo the damage. And knowing that there were other people inside his heart made the prospect alarmingly possible.

But how many times could one heart break before it was irreparable? How much more pain could he endure before it broke him completely? She was scared to weigh him down with another burden, afraid to ask him for further help. Of course, he'd already offered. So all of her worrying was pointless anyway.

"No. What happened to Sora – it won't happen again. We won't let it."

Ven gave her a doubtful look. "Do we really have any control over that, Aqua?"

"Yes. We've got Kairi. She can help him if something like that happens again."

Ven's eyes filled with guilt at the mention of her name. Aqua realized, too late, that that had been the wrong thing to say. She put an arm on his shoulder."Ven, it's not your fault Vanitas—"

He flinched away from her touch. "Yes, it is. Stop trying to coddle me! Why are you always trying to keep me out of everything? Is it because you think I'm weak?"

"No! I'm just trying to keep you safe!"

"Yeah, and look how well that worked out!"

That was enough. Aqua trembled with anger, but deeper still, she was smarting at the cruel blow he'd just dealt. "How _dare_ you. You have no idea what I've been through to keep you safe."

Ven was crying, and with a start, she realized she was, too. It was all too much. The stress of the last few days had made them both snap, and she couldn't stay angry with him any longer. Pulling him into a hug, she moved her hand up and down his arm to comfort him, and he sobbed into her shoulder.

"Look at us," she sniffed. "All these pent up feelings with nowhere for them to go. It's no wonder we blew up at each other."

"I'm sorry, Aqua."

"Me too."

Neither of them said anything for a while after that. Crying was cathartic in a way few other things are, and crying with someone else especially so.

When they were both cried out, Ven was the first to speak.

"Aqua, I know my body is weak right now, but I want to help you save Terra. I'll do whatever it takes to reach the point where I can fight again."

She smiled. That was more like the Ven she knew. "I wouldn't have it any other way." She gave his shoulder an affectionate squeeze. "Oh, and Ven?"

"Yeah?"

"Terra asked about you."

His eyes went wide. "He-he did?"

She nodded. "He couldn't say much, but he did say your name. I told him you were okay, and he smiled. He actually smiled, Ven. There's hope. He's still in there. He's still fighting. We can't give up."

"Yeah." There was a pause, and there were a few false starts before he finally got out the rest of what he wanted to say. "And Aqua? If you ever… if you ever need to talk to someone about – about what you've been through – I'm here for you, okay?"

She hugged him again. He had no idea how much that meant to her. Even if he couldn't understand everything she'd been through, it helped to know he was willing to listen, that he cared enough to share the burdens she bore.

"Thank you, Ven."

oOo

 _Knock knock._

Kairi rubbed her eyes and sat up, giving her guest permission to come in. Her heart skipped a few beats when she saw who it was. He entered the room and closed the door behind him, being careful to be quiet. She still couldn't believe he was really here.

"Sorry, did I wake you up?" he asked.

She smiled and shook her head. "No, I've been awake for a while now. Just wanted to rest a little bit longer." She patted the spot next to her, and he sat down as she stretched, her muscles still sore from her fight with Vanitas.

"How's Ven?" she asked. He'd taken the news of Terra's fate badly, becoming downright unresponsive to the point where he'd refused to speak to anyone. Merlin had ordered everyone to rest after that. Between the exhaustion and heightened emotions, no one was thinking clearly enough to make important decisions.

"Better. Aqua's here, and she's with him now."

"Good." If anyone could help him, she could. Kairi wanted to see her, but first, there was something she wanted to ask. She took Sora's hand in hers, running her thumb across his knuckles.

"Sora, I never did get the chance to ask. How did you know Vanitas was after me?"

A thoughtful expression settled on his face. "After I took Ven out of my heart, Naminé came to me in a dream and warned me."

Just as she'd suspected, her Nobody was still looking after her. Kairi was more determined than ever to save her friend and give her the existence she deserved.

"She spoke to me too," she said. "She told me not to give up. Sora, we have to do something. We have to find a way to save her and Roxas. They deserve to be their own people, don't you think?"

His face grew somber. "Yeah. It's something that's been on my mind a lot lately. We'll find a way, I promise." He held out his pinkie. She was confused for a moment, not remembering a time recently when she'd done this with him. But then it all clicked, and she linked her pinkie with his.

"Hear that, Naminé? It's a promise."

He smiled briefly, but then the same sober expression from before returned. "Kairi, I didn't get the chance to earlier either, and I wanted to say I'm sorry."

"Whatever for, silly?" What unforgivable sin did he think he'd committed this time?

He couldn't quite look her in the eye when he spoke. "When I woke Ven up, Vanitas woke up too. He must've come after you while I was—"

"Oh, is that what's bothering you? Sora, it wasn't your fault." She put her hand on his shoulder, and he looked up, his eyes searching hers. She had to let him know he wasn't to blame.

"But he hurt you. He even tried to kidnap you." His voice broke, and the guilt in his eyes weighed her down, too.

"I'm fine. It's you I was worried about. The little leech had the gall to brag about hurting you."

A flicker of emotion crossed his face before he masked it with a smile. "I'm okay now, I promise."

She wasn't convinced. She knew what she'd seen before he'd hidden it away from her. But she wouldn't press the issue. Sora would bring it up again when he was ready. Nagging him about it wouldn't help.

"Good. All the same, I still want to punch him in the face."

Sora laughed at her unexpected outburst, shaking his head. "You haven't changed, Kairi."

She raised an eyebrow. "Is that a good thing?"

"Yes." He paused for a moment. "Have I – have I changed?"

Oh, he was just asking to be teased now. She rested her chin on her hand and tapped her cheek, pondering the best way to do so. He mistook her silence for an answer in and of itself, and his eyes, expressive as ever, filled with concern. Time to set the record straight before he got any wrong ideas.

She ran her hand through his spikes. "Well, you changed your hairstyle. It looks good, by the way." Her hands slid to his shoulders. She straightened the lapels of his jacket, admiring the new look. "You changed your clothes. The style suits you. I like the plaid."

"K-Kairi—" An unmistakable blush was creeping across his cheeks. But she wasn't done yet.

"Hmmmm, let's see, what else. I think you've gotten taller. It's hard to tell, though, since we're sitting down right now."

His face had turned completely red. "That's not what I—"

She put a finger to his lips. "Changed? I'd say you've changed a lot, actually. But this—" she strummed her fingers over his heart— "this is the same. And that's what matters to me."

The look he gave her, so full of warmth and affection, made her heart melt. When he put his arm around her, she snuggled close to him and rested her head on his shoulder, sighing in contentment. He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, his lips lingering there for a moment before he spoke again.

"Kairi?"

"Hmmm?"

"You know it's yours, right? Has been, for a long time."

She looked up into his eyes and smiled. Any further words were unnecessary. In that moment, they were the only two people in the entire world.

 _If only we could stay like this forever._

But their friends needed help, and the hearts inside of them needed rescuing. Sora was about to go find Riku and Aqua when Kairi remembered why she'd come into the Time Chamber in the first place.

"Sora, wait! I almost forgot! I have a present for you."

"A present?" he asked, his curiosity piqued.

"M-hmmm. Wait just a second."

She returned soon afterwards with her diary. The poor thing was still right where she'd left it, somehow still okay after all the fighting. She kept it carefully hidden behind her back. Sora craned his neck, trying to see what it was.

Her heart pounded. She couldn't wait to give it to him. Of course, her brain chose that moment to remind her of some of the more embarrassing things she'd written. Maaaaaybe she should have gone back and edited it first…

"C'mon, Kairi! You're killing me here!"

He was so eager to see her surprise. Well, there was no going back now.

She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Um, so you know that I like to write."

He nodded, smiling. "Of course. I still have your letter."

Her heart fluttered. "You do?"

"Yup! It's always a good encouragement when I'm feeling down." He stood and pulled it out from where it was tucked inside his jacket, waving it happily.

Goodness, that smile. It was her turn to blush. And did he… did he really keep it right there, next to his heart?

"Well, um, that's good to hear, because instead of a letter, I wrote to you in my diary this time." The words tumbled out all at once as she shoved the little book at him, carefully avoiding his eyes.

"You did?"

She nodded. "Yeah. About my training. I missed you, so it helped me feel like you were near, and…"

He didn't say anything. The silence hung over the air like a thick blanket. Why wasn't he responding?

"Geez, you don't have to read it, I just thought—"

"What're you saying? Of course I'll read it!"

She finally looked up. His entire face had lit up again, like it was Christmas morning and he'd just met Santa.

"Kairi, this is great! What a cool idea!"

 _He likes it. He really likes it._ Her face flushed. "I asked Merlin to enchant it so that only the two of us can read it." She chuckled at the memory. "Lea kept trying to snoop around, so I was desperate."

"That's perfect! There's still space in the back, right? I want to write you back!"

"R-really?" Getting to read Sora's thoughts, meant for her eyes only? She could hardly wait.

"Yeah!" He opened it to the first page and started reading. Embarrassed, she hurriedly slammed it shut, her hands covering his. He looked at her, puzzled.

"I want you to read it, j-just not in front of me."

He raised an eyebrow, the unspoken question written all over his face.

Geez, was he really going to make her spell it out? Fine.

"I-it's too embarrassing," she finally choked out.

His eyebrows shot up even higher. Just what did he think was in there, anyway? Thankfully, she was saved by an interruption.

"What's too embarrassing?"

"Riku!" Kairi ran to her friend and gave him a hug. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Sora had had the good sense to hide the diary, presumably in one of his many pockets. Riku would never let either of them live it down otherwise.

He looked her square in the eye. "Kairi, are you feeling better?"

"Yeah." He was looking better now, too. The dark circles under his eyes had faded, and he no longer looked as if he might pass out from exhaustion at any moment. "Are you?"

"Yeah. I feel better now that I've gotten some rest." He turned his attention to Sora. "Were you going to tell any of the rest of us that Kairi woke up, or were you planning on keeping her all to yourself?" he teased.

Sora's face turned red again. Before he could stutter out a response, Kairi came to his rescue. Or his demise. She couldn't pass up another good opportunity to tease him.

Putting on her best mock serious tone, she said, "As a matter of fact, Riku, I don't think he was. He would've just kept me locked in here forever, all to himself…"

Riku smirked, glad to see she was playing along. Sora, on the other hand, was indignant.

"C'mon, Kairi! I hardly get to see you anymore. I'll take any chance I can get to be with you." He waved his hands around in the air to emphasize his words, one of his many little quirks that she'd grown so fond of.

She laughed. "I know, silly." Against her better judgment, she added, "The feeling's mutual, you know."

Sure enough, Riku's expression clearly showed that she'd given him more than enough fodder to tease her with for the next few days, maybe even weeks. But Sora smiled, and that more than made up for it.

"Well," Riku said, clearing his throat, "I didn't come all the way down here to give you guys a hard time, believe it or not. Just wanted to let you know that we're about to have a meeting."

"Oh really? Thanks for the heads up," Kairi said.

"We'll be right there," Sora added.

Riku nodded, ducking out of the low doorway through which he'd come.

When they were alone again, Sora said, "I got a present for you, too." Fumbling around in his pockets, he pulled out what looked like a piece of paper, folded many times until it was almost completely flat.

Kairi peered closer, trying to make out what it was. He carefully unfolded it, revealing a paper lantern with sun-shaped designs cut into the sides.

"It's beautiful," she murmured as he handed it to her.

"It's a gift from my friend Rapunzel," he said. "Every year, for her birthday, the people of her kingdom light up hundreds of these and release them into the air. It's really cool." He paused and then added, "I wish you could've been there, Kairi. You would've loved it."

Kairi pictured the scene in her head: hundreds of lanterns like this one, floating gracefully through the air, lighting up the night sky and reflecting off of the water. She sighed. She knew it was for Rapunzel's birthday, but it sounded so romantic. She hoped the princess had someone to celebrate such a beautiful sight with.

Sora continued, "It's not the same as seeing it in person, but I thought we could light this one up together when we get home."

Kairi was thrilled. "That's perfect! Let's take one of our rowboats and light it up over the water. It'll be so pretty."

"Yeah, good idea."

Sora looked very pleased with himself. She gave him a quick thank-you hug and carefully tucked her gift into the pouch on her dress.

"Well, better not keep the others waiting," she said, grabbing his hand and heading for the door.

"Yeah." Sora followed after her as they finally left the chamber.

oOo

A/N: Hey guys, thanks for reading! I'm going to be really busy next week, so the next chapter will be posted on August 18th instead of August 11th, as I want to make sure I leave myself enough time to edit it properly. Hope you have a great week!


	14. Chapter 14 - The Seventh Guardian

Chapter 14 – The Seventh Guardian

It was a sizable group that had gathered in Merlin's little house. King Mickey, Donald, and Goofy were all there, as well as Master Yen Sid and Merlin. Cid from the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee was even in attendance, typing away at his computer in the corner. But the person who caught Kairi's eye was the tall, lanky figure who sprang to his feet at the sight of her.

"Kai! You're okay!"

"Lea!" Kairi was thrilled to see her friend back safe and sound from his mission. He ran over and enveloped her into a bear hug, lifting her off her feet. When he finally set her down again, he wore a huge grin on her face.

"I heard all about what happened. Good on you, Kai. I hope you punched Vanitas in the face."

Kairi giggled into her hand. "Well, I couldn't have done it without your help. Your special training really came in handy."

"Special training?" Sora asked from behind them.

Lea ignored him. "Come on, I can't take credit for your victory. That was all you," he said, ruffling her hair affectionately.

His smile was contagious, and Kairi couldn't help but return it.

"They're getting along well," Riku remarked to Sora. "And you were worried they wouldn't be able to handle being in the same room together."

"Well, yeah, because he kidnapped her! Of course I was concerned! No one told me what was going on until after they'd already started training together, either."

Kairi turned around and put an arm on his shoulder. "It's okay, Sora. We're friends now."

Lea's face lit up at her words, and Sora smiled, his eyes softening. "Yeah, I know."

She was about to say something else when they were interrupted.

"Kairi, thank goodness you're alright!" A young woman with blue hair and eyes to match ran up to her. "We were all so worried!"

"Master Aqua?" Kairi asked.

Aqua smiled. "So you do remember me! It's so good to see you again." She took Kairi's hands in hers. "I'm glad you're safe."

They really had rescued her. After over a decade of being trapped in the Realm of Darkness, she was finally free. It was with more emotion than she expected that Kairi replied, "I'm glad you're safe too. Thank you. For everything."

Aqua nodded, understanding. There were just some things that went without saying. Her help had extended far beyond her encouragement during Kairi's fight against Vanitas, after all. She'd been looking out for Kairi for a long time now. The enchanted necklace resting around her neck served as a reminder of Aqua's protection.

Ven came up to Kairi too, limping his way along with a pair of crutches. He said hello, but before she could respond, he stopped her.

"Kairi, wait. I want to apologize about Vanitas."

She tilted her head to one side. "What do you mean?" What did he have to do with the fiend she'd fought? He was the polar opposite of her attacker.

Ven raised his eyebrows. "You know who he is, don't you?"

Finally, a chance for answers. She shook her head. "Not really. And why does he look like Sora?"

Ven sighed. "It's a long story, but basically Sora opened his heart up to me when he was just a baby and my own heart was hurt. So the darkness Xehanort pulled from my heart took on Sora's form."

"Wait, so you're saying Vanitas is the darkness from your heart? Then that means… you're like me, and the other Princesses of Heart, aren't you?"

It all made sense. She'd thought something seemed different about him, and now she knew what it was.

Aqua chuckled. "I'm going to start calling you Princess Ven."

Ven pouted at her teasing. "Don't you dare. Anyway, where was I?"

He explained the Χ-blade and why Xehanort wanted it, and what had happened to his heart when it had been destroyed, including how he had sought shelter with Sora once more. When he got to the part about Vanitas also being inside of Sora's heart, a dark shadow crossed his expression.

"My heart's fine now, thanks to Sora, but Vanitas also grew his own heart. When he woke up, he tried to stop Sora from rescuing me, and Sora…" His fist clenched, his skin turning pale. "When he left Sora's body, he must have gone right back to Xehanort, who sent him to try to kidnap you. I'm sorry, Kairi."

His head drooped, eyes filling with sadness. The overall effect was not unlike that of a kicked puppy. Sora always made the exact same expression when he was upset, and seeing Ven like that made Kairi want to cheer him up.

"Ven, it's not your fault. I'm just glad you're safe."

"Me too, Kairi. I'm glad you're okay."

She smiled and gave him a playful nudge. "Besides, you didn't think I spent all that time learning how to fight just to let Vanitas win, did you?"

Ven shook his head, smiling at last. "Of course not."

"Good." She turned to Sora. He'd worn a thoughtful expression as he'd listened to her conversation with Ven, but as soon as she looked to him, his eyes focused on her, ready to hear what she had to say.

"Sora, you can wake up sleeping hearts now, right? Is it possible we could save Roxas and Naminé that way?"

Aqua shook her head. "I don't think it'll be that simple, Kairi. Ven had a body to return to, but Roxas and Naminé don't yet, right? And… I'm worried about risking your heart unless we're sure it'll work, let alone making Sora go through that process again…"

She trailed off as Sora frowned. "It'll be fine. Anything we try will be with my heart first so we're sure it works."

"Sora, don't say things like that," Riku said, putting his conversation with Lea on hold to chime in with what Kairi was also thinking. "You shouldn't be so careless with your own heart. Especially not after what just happened."

"It's my decision to make," Sora said softly. "And I have a promise to keep."

Kairi took his hand. He wasn't in this alone; he had to see that. "So do I. We'll do it together this time, okay?" She smiled and twined their fingers together.

He gazed at her, his eyes dropping for a moment before they traveled back to hers. "Kairi—"

Master Yen Sid's booming voice called them all to attention. The room went silent as everyone turned to face him. Kairi hadn't ever seen him away from his usual spot at Mysterious Tower, so it came as a bit of a shock to see him sitting there with Merlin.

"Everyone is gathered here, correct?"

"Yes, Master Yen Sid," Riku said. "Besides Merlin and Cid, the Restoration Committee can't make it, but we've already spoken with them. The princesses are all safe now, right?"

"That is correct. Lea brought Cinderella to the designated hiding place, and Mickey found Belle shortly thereafter. They were the last two, and rest assured they are all safe and sound."

There was a general sigh of relief.

"However, we cannot keep them there forever. They no doubt wish to see their loved ones again, and furthermore, Xehanort will be searching for them. We will have to move them to another location soon. The Restoration Committee—" Yen Sid gestured to the members gathered there— "has kindly agreed to assist in this venture. But before that, there are other matters to discuss. Now that the Seven Guardians of Light have been gathered, Xehanort may try to force a clash. It is imperative we split up before he has the chance to do so."

The Seven Guardians of Light? Kairi looked around the room. Sora, Riku, and King Mickey made three. Aqua and Ventus were two more, and Lea must count too. That left…

Sora could barely contain his excitement. "Sir, are you saying that Kairi is one of the guardians too?"

"That is correct."

He threw his arm around her shoulder. "You did it, Kairi!"

She couldn't believe it. Did Master Yen Sid really count her as one of the Seven Guardians? She thought that the role would go to someone else, someone more experienced.

"Kairi," he said.

She straightened, feeling nervous under his probing gaze. "Yes sir?" she asked.

"You have done well. You have proved you are capable of defending yourself. If you maintain your current rate of growth, you may very well be eligible for taking the Mark of Mastery exam in the future."

She forgot her composure. "Seriously?"

 _Me, a Keyblade Master?_ She looked to Riku and Sora for confirmation. Sora had a huge smile on his face, and the corner of Riku's mouth curved upwards.

Yen Sid cracked a smile, the first Kairi had ever seen cross his face. "I am nothing if not serious. You still require a good deal of training, but you show great potential."

"I see," Kairi said, her face falling. She knew it was too good to be true. She'd be stuck training again in Merlin's Time Chamber for who knows how long while everyone else was out fighting.

"Take heart, my dear," Merlin whispered, a twinkle in his eye.

Yen Sid continued, running his fingers through his long, grey beard. "While it would be ideal for you to continue your training under Merlin's tutelage, time is not a luxury we have to waste. This leads me to the next topic of discussion. Ansem the Wise was rescued from the Realm of Darkness along with Aqua and is currently pouring over his research with Chip and Dale to search for a way to create bodies for those whose hearts reside within Sora and Kairi."

At this, Kairi and Sora turned to each other. The look of hope and excitement on Sora's face mirrored her own. She'd had no idea they'd already started looking for a way to save Naminé and Roxas.

"Sora, you still have the Key to Return Hearts, correct?"

A look of sheer panic crossed Sora's face when he remembered where he'd last seen it.

"I grabbed it," Ven piped up. "Almost got left behind when we left your tower, sir." He hobbled over and handed it to Sora, who gave him a look filled with gratitude. Kairi peered at it over his shoulder, and he shifted his position to give her a better look.

It was different from the Keyblade he'd used to remove her heart from his, smaller and less ominous looking. All the same, she shivered as her hand ran over the cold metal. It was only a matter of time before she'd probably be using it on herself. She wondered what it would feel like.

"For the next stage of our plan," Yen Sid continued, "We must split up once more if we wish to succeed. Every group will have two Keyblade Masters in its midst."

Mickey and Riku's assignment was to search for Even and ask him about his research on Replicas to see if any of it could help Roxas and Naminé. Lea was going with them, and his face went pale at that particular revelation.

"Actually, I don't know that I should."

"You were a member of Organization XIII alongside his Nobody Vexen, correct?"

"Yes, but I—"

"Then you are the logical choice to go with them."

Lea carefully studied the floor. "I—I destroyed his Nobody."

There was a long, awkward silence. "Have you spoken with him since then?"

"Yes. He didn't say anything about it, but I also never apologized, and—"

"Then tread carefully. He may provide us with assistance, but depending on how he views the destruction of his Nobody, he might seek revenge against you instead."

"Is there anything else, Master Yen Sid?" Mickey asked.

"Once you find Even, request to see his research. If he complies, report what you find to Ansem the Wise. If he refuses, ask him of Terra's whereabouts. Follow any leads he may give you, but if he does not wish to help, then do not press the matter. Return to my tower once you are finished so that we can start the process of relocating the princesses."

"Yes sir."

"Be careful, Mickey. Xehanort is a cunning man, and he will no doubt try to ensnare you with clever traps. Be on your guard, and do not act hastily."

"Right."

Yen Sid turned to Aqua next. "Aqua, you and Sora will be leading the other group."

Sora's eyes went wide as the implications of what Yen Sid sank in. "Hold on a sec. Does that mean—"

"Congratulations, _Master_ Sora!" Kairi cried, throwing her arms around him. He laughed and spun her around before pulling her into a hug. After all his hard work, he'd finally done it. She couldn't think of anyone more worthy of the title.

"About time," Riku said. He smiled and gave his friend a high five. Ven, Aqua, Mickey, and Lea congratulated him as well, and Donald and Goofy came over, too, unable to contain their excitement.

"See, didn't we tell ya?"

"You couldn't become a Master without us!"

"Hey now." But then they laughed, and Sora hugged them. "Thanks, guys." He turned to Yen Sid, a question on his mind. "But I have to ask, how? My heart getting hurt again wasn't enough to fail me this time?"

"Well, the whole point of your Mark of Mastery examination was to learn the Power of Waking," Merlin explained. "You lost it at the end of your first test. That's why you didn't pass. But this time was different. You woke Ventus up, but you also woke your own sleeping heart up, proving that you didn't lose the ability even after Vanitas injured you. And not only that, but you woke me up, too."

"And seeing as how you have more than fulfilled the requirements of the exam, you have rightfully earned the title." Yen Sid added. "Congratulations, Sora."

Sora still had a look of disbelief written all over his face. He didn't say anything as he tried to process it all.

Merlin smiled. "Surely you've noticed how strong your heart has become? Love is a powerful thing, my boy," he said, his eyes shining.

Sora put a hand over his heart and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he had a perfect little smile on his face. "Yeah, it is." His eyes flickered to Kairi. Flustered, she looked down for a moment, only to see that he was still gazing at her when she looked up again.

Yen Sid cleared his throat and addressed Aqua. "Aqua, please share the information Master Eraqus passed on to you with Sora. And as to your next assignment, the two of you will be leading the search for Terra."

At this, Aqua's eyes filled with hope, hope and a brief glimpse of longing.

"If Xehanort has one fewer Seeker of Darkness at his disposal," Yen Sid continued, "all the better for us. I am sending Kairi, Donald, and Goofy with you for this task."

Kairi's mouth opened in shock. She couldn't believe it. She'd actually get to go on a mission, and with Sora no less! And Aqua too. She had so many things she wanted to ask her. And of course Donald and Goofy – she couldn't wait to hear all the stories they no doubt had about Sora. Oh, the teasing potential…

When she looked at Sora, he was just as thrilled by the news as she was. They'd finally get to be together again after all, something they'd wanted for ages now. But when she looked at Riku, he had the slightest hint of disappointment on his face, and it put a damper on her excitement. She wished he was coming with them.

"There is something else. Sora, you have exhibited a most unusual ability. You connected the hearts of many to yours so that you could contact Kairi."

"Yes, I did."

"And, the hearts connected to yours could feel what you were feeling, correct?"

Sora was silent for a moment. "Yes." He hung his head. "I—I didn't mean for that to happen. Sorry, everyone."

Kairi shifted uncomfortably as she realized that if Sora had felt the memories and feelings she'd sent his way, then everyone else connected to his heart at the same time must have, too. So much for privacy.

"Don't be. You must work to hone this ability. It may prove to be the key to saving Terra. Kairi, if Sora can forge a connection to him, you may be able to purify his heart of Xehanort's dark influence using that link."

Kairi fiddled with the necklace around her neck, painfully aware of the way every eye was on her.

"Actually, I think I was able to fix Sora's heart because… because, um, I've known him for a long time, and, uh, we're… we're… really good friends." She winced, wanted to kick herself for how the words had come out. Sure enough, Sora looked miffed, and Riku, Donald, and Goofy were all trying not to laugh.

 _Thanks, peanut gallery._ She glared at the three of them, which only amused them further, before continuing. "I don't know Terra, so I don't know if it would work. I'm sorry, Master Yen Sid."

"Ah, but you will be traveling with someone who does," Merlin said, gesturing to Aqua. "She can help. Aqua, might I suggest you start searching for Terra at the place he was last seen before Xehanort possessed him?"

"The Keyblade Graveyard," Aqua said. "Understood. Master Yen Sid, if I may be so bold, I have a request to make." She fixed him with an intense look.

"What is your request?"

"I'd like Ven to come with us. It won't be the same without him there."

The old master closed his eyes. "Aqua, Ventus has just regained his heart. His body is still weak, and it will take time for him to recover, let alone reach fighting condition."

"Yes sir, I'm aware."

"Moreover, while Sora has regained much of his former strength, in addition to new powers, rescuing Ventus has put a great strain on his heart."

Aqua winced. "I am aware of that too, sir. Kairi has repaired his heart twice now though. She can help him if something goes wrong."

"That is one of the reasons why I am sending her with you. Her powers over the heart are unrivaled, save by her fellow princesses and Sora's newfound ability to connect hearts. I am worried, though, that such a new Keyblade wielder has such great responsibility. Not only are we asking her to fight when she is not yet fully trained, we are also asking her to help restore Terra. And now you want to appoint her guardian of Sora's heart. That is much to ask of her."

Aqua hung her head. While what everything he had said was true, it was still unacceptable. Kairi could see how important it was to Aqua that Ven be there for Terra's rescue.

"I can do it, sir," Kairi said. All the eyes in the room turned to her. Emboldened by Sora's smile and Riku's nod, she continued. "Or at least, I've got to try. I have a duty."

Merlin nodded, and Aqua shot her a look full of gratitude.

Master Yen Sid sighed. "I can see you have your heart set on taking Ventus with you. In that case, there is nothing I can do to prevent it. But Aqua, the danger will be greater if he goes with you."

"I understand."

"Your responsibility will also be much greater. Not only will you have to finish Kairi's training, as well as act as a bodyguard for her, since her safety is of the utmost importance, but you will also have to rehabilitate Ventus."

"He's one of the Seven Guardians, isn't he? He has to get his strength back somehow," Sora muttered. "And it's not like Aqua's guarding them all by herself. I'll be there too, and so will Donald and Goofy."

Master Yen Sid shot him a look. "That is true, but it would still be safer for him to remain here. The decision is up to you though, Ventus. Would you like to accompany Aqua's group?"

Ven ducked his head. "Yes sir, I would like that very much. I just… I don't want to be a burden."

Boy, could Kairi relate. She had the urge to run over and give him a hug.

"Don't worry, you won't be," Aqua said, smiling and putting her hand on his shoulder.

Ven smiled back. "Then I've made my decision. I'll go with them to help look for Terra after I've got my strength back."

"A good compromise. While they are away, you may train with Merlin and the three fairies to regain your strength. And Aqua, we will contact you when it is time to move the princesses again. Please return to my tower at once when you receive word. If you—"

"Sir?" Sora asked, raising his hand like he was in class.

"Yes?" the old master asked, the slightest hint of irritation in his voice at being interrupted again. "What is it?"

"I don't know why, but I feel like we're missing someone. I could have sworn there was one more person. A girl with dark hair. I saw her during my first Mark of Mastery exam, and then again when I woke Ven up, deep inside my heart. Who was she? She seemed familiar, but I didn't know her name."

"There is no one else that I am aware of, but you may very well be correct. The heart remembers what the body and mind have forgotten."

Sora crossed his arms and tilted his head like he always did when he was thinking hard. Kairi wondered what was on his mind. She made a mental note to ask him about it later.

Lea, meanwhile, had a deeply pained expression on his face, like something was terribly wrong.

"Lea…?" she asked, worried. She went over to him and put a hand on his arm.

He shook his head. "It's nothing. There for a second, I just thought…"

All eyes were on him. He looked around, and then shrugged. "Never mind."

Something was troubling him, but before anyone could ask more about it, Yen Sid continued.

"Now, to return to what I spoke of earlier. Once you have completed these tasks, we must move the princesses again. We cannot allow them to be captured. Until then, I myself will be guarding them. We will discuss the details more later on. That is all. Are there any questions?"

Sora raised his hand again.

"Yes, Sora?"

"How are we gonna get there? Our Gummi Ship crashed, and—"

"Already on it," a voice from the corner said. Cid turned around, readjusting his toothpick. "It'll be ready to go soon enough."

Sora was taken aback. "Oh, okay. Thanks."

"Any other questions?"

No one said anything.

"Then you are all dismissed. Please make ample preparations for the journey ahead of you. It will not be an easy one."

With that, the meeting was over.

oOo

A/N: Ven and Aqua have been begging me to save Terra since about Chapter 10, and they haven't left me alone since. This is the second to last chapter of Dear Sora, but I have ideas for a sequel, and I've got a basic outline and written a few scenes for it already, too.

I want to have a lot more of it written before I start posting, though, so it could take some time. Absolute worst case scenario, i.e. I am nowhere near finished writing it by around the time KH3 comes out, I'll update this story with an overview of what I had planned, including a few key scenes. The last thing I want to do is leave you guys hanging after all your lovely feedback and encouragement.

To Guest, I'm glad you liked the Tangled cameo! It was inspired by some art I saw on tumblr, and I found the artist again. Her name is vanekari, and she's got some really lovely Kingdom Hearts art. I'm thinking about writing a oneshot in the future about it, but we'll see.

Thanks everyone for reading, and see you next week for the last chapter!


	15. Chapter 15 - Hand in Hand

Chapter 15 – Hand in Hand

"I'll come back to you, I promise."

"I know you will."

"We're… we're back."

"You're home."

Hands torn apart, and then joined together again. Vanitas stirred, burying his face further into the pillow to try to block out _her_ memories. Ever since the attack, they'd haunted him, crawling into his mind and heart and refusing to leave. Not even his subconscious was safe.

As he rolled over again, a familiar voice cleared its throat, and he cracked an eye open in acknowledgement.

"I see you're awake now. That was very foolish of you, Vanitas."

He sat up, clutching his chest and wincing. "I'll be fine."

Xehanort didn't like weakness. Vanitas had learned long ago not to show it.

"You're lucky you made it back so quickly. Otherwise I might not have been able to restore your heart to its natural state in time. The princess tried to purify it and purge it of darkness, using an attack that could have killed you. Once again, the tyranny of light manifests itself."

Vanitas frowned. While it was true that the light had brought him great pain, he also couldn't help but be drawn to it. It reminded him of what he lacked, of what he could never have, all because Ventus had refused to let him be whole again.

Of course, his other half had paid the price for his betrayal. But then Sora had gone and fixed the damage, taking away the punishment Ventus deserved. It made Vanitas seethe with anger, knowing he was walking around scot-free now. He always got better than he deserved, whereas Vanitas never did.

Oh. His master was still talking. Best to at least pretend he was still listening.

"The simpleton probably thought it was an ordinary attack, but I can see that it was not. Intentionally or not, it was the sort of attack only a creature like her could successfully carry out. She has become far more powerful than I had originally imagined."

"Yeah, I can see that," Vanitas muttered under his breath.

Xehanort frowned, and Vanitas tensed. He'd failed, after all, and failure was unacceptable.

"I am disappointed by your failure to bring her here," Xehanort remarked, a dangerous hint of displeasure in his tone. "She would have been a powerful tool to use against Sora, as past events have made clear. The fool loses his mind the moment she's in danger."

Vanitas saw his opportunity to stay on Xehanort's good side and took it.

"Him? You should have seen _her_. And I thought Ventus was a sensitive little weakling. Imagine if she really did have to fight her knight in shining armor."

Xehanort smiled. "It may yet come to pass. The Guardians are still missing one of their own."

"You mean Terra."

"Of course. After the lengths they went to to keep Ventus out of our hands, I have no doubt they will try to rescue him as well. It will be easy enough to turn any attempts in our favor."

"Oh, that'll be fun to see."

"Indeed. But we will have to be careful. Ever since he saw Aqua, he has been… unpredictable. I worry what seeing her or Ventus again might do to him. It is better if we keep him under tight control for now, though we shall certainly use him as bait when the time comes."

"I can hardly wait. Anything else?

"No, that is all."

Xehanort left, and Vanitas was alone again. He sank back onto his bed and stared at the ceiling, trying to shut out the doubt that had wormed its way into his heart and mind. The light, as misguided as it was, made him long for things he thought he'd purged himself of long ago, and that was unacceptable.

This was all Sora and Kairi's fault. They were trying to turn him against the one person who gave him the attention he so desperately craved. As he lay there, his hatred for the two of them grew until it burst forth as new Unversed.

"You'll pay for what you've done!" he spat, summoning the newborn monsters to his side.

Xehanort, waiting outside the door of his apprentice's room, smiled wickedly when he heard those words. He walked away, hands clasped behind his back.

"Very good, Vanitas. Just don't let the light struggling to take hold inside your heart get in the way of being my vessel. If it does, then your little quest for revenge will be finished, and so will you."

oOo

 _It's not him, Lea. Pull it together._

Lea was finishing up his conversation with Merlin, who had kindly provided provisions for his journey, when he noticed Ventus waiting nearby. With a pang, he had to remind himself for the millionth time that no, it wasn't Roxas.

"Can I talk to you?" Ventus asked.

Lea said goodbye to his mentor and turned to Ventus instead, trying to mask his true thoughts with an air of nonchalance.

"Yeah, of course. What's up?"

Ventus shifted his weight so that he was leaning against the wall, wincing slightly as the weakened muscles in his legs protested at the unexpected movement. Lea had to ignore how much every expression he made reminded him of his lost friend.

"I look like Roxas, don't I?"

It was more of a statement than a question, and it took Lea by surprise. As far as he knew, Ventus and Roxas had never met.

"How'd you know?"

"Sora told me. You were friends with him, right?"

"Well… yeah, actually. But I was a pretty lousy friend."

"Oh." Ventus frowned. "I wouldn't have expected that. You were nice to me when we first met."

"Yeah, well, a lot's happened since then."

Ventus chuckled. "Yeah, it really has. I'm still catching up on it all myself. It's weird, seeing you all grown up, when I'm not even a year older. I think Sora's older than me now, too, and I first met him when he was just a baby."

"Well," Lea said, lounging against the wall next to him, "we're glad you've rejoined us in the land of the living."

"Yeah, me too."

Neither of them said anything after that, unsure of what to say. But presently, Ventus spoke up. "Sora… wants to save Roxas, right?"

"Yeah, he does. So do I."

Ventus's eyebrows crinkled as he thought about what Lea had said. "It's gonna be weird, having someone else around who looks just like me."

"Eh, you're pretty different from him. You speak differently, too. I don't think anyone would mix you up once they'd been around you long enough."

While Ventus and Roxas looked alike, the longer Lea talked to him, the more the differences became clear. The cadence to his voice, the way he held himself, even the phrasing he used – all were different from Roxas. It was surreal, seeing someone who looked just like his friend, and yet so clearly wasn't him.

"Maybe… maybe he'd be more like me, if things had gone differently," Ventus said, a heaviness to his voice that Lea wasn't expecting. "All the same, it's good to hear that I'm still me."

Lea smiled sadly. "You know, he always used to say stuff like that."

Ventus raised his eyebrow, the corners of his mouth curving upwards into a grin. "Sounds like we have more in common than you're telling me, then."

"Well, you'll just have to see for yourself when you meet him."

"Can't wait."

"Yeah, me either."

Ventus cleared his throat and readjusted his crutches. "Hey, Lea?"

"Yeah?"

"You knew Terra too, right? After Xehanort took over his body, I mean."

Oh, great. Lea wasn't sure he liked where this was going.

"I guess, in a sense. But I don't think Terra had much control over what he did."

And even if he had, there was no reason to say so. Ventus was still in a fragile enough state as it was.

"Did he ever—did he ever mention me or Aqua?"

Lea frowned, racking his brains for something, anything he could tell Ventus. Then it came to him.

"Xemnas used to talk to Aqua's armor. We all thought it was weird, but we didn't really question it." Lea sighed. "Maybe it was really Terra trying to contact her."

"Yeah, maybe."

Lea put a hand on Ventus's shoulder. "Look, Ventus—"

Ventus smiled. His smile was so much like Roxas's that it made Lea's heart ache.

"Call me Ven."

"Ven, I'm sure he's still fighting. No, I know he is. We'll find a way to save him." His hand tightened around Ven's shoulder.

 _I have to believe that. Otherwise, there's no hope for Isa, either._

oOo

Kairi was back in her room hurriedly stuffing her things into her bag when there was a knock on the door.

"Come in."

It was Lea. He strode over to her bed and sprawled on it as Kairi grinned and shook her head.

"You took your shoes off, right?"

There was a pause, and then the unmistakable thunk of two shoes hitting the floor.

"Better." She tucked her toothbrush into the little pouch around her hips, turning her attention to her dresser.

"All that time training together, and we're not even going on the same assignment."

She paused, her socks and tank top halfway to her bag, a pang hitting her at the thought of their impending separation.

"Yeah. It's really too bad, isn't it? We make a great team."

"The best."

She gave him a quick smile before returning to packing. "Well, maybe our next one will be together."

"Yeah."

She stuffed the rest of her clothes into her bag. She was almost finished now, but there was something she wanted to ask him about.

"Lea, about earlier. What Sora said really seemed to bother you. Is it something you want to talk about?"

Lea sighed, putting his arms behind his head. "I don't know what came over me. There for a second, it was like I could almost remember something, or someone. But then it was gone."

"Hmmm, I wonder why. Maybe it was someone you once knew, but forgot."

Lea frowned. "Could be. But why would I have forgotten?"

"I – I don't know. But I do know what it feels like to forget someone. Knowing they're important, but not remembering why – it's one of the worst feelings in the world."

Her hand tightened around her necklace, and he gave her another one of those looks of his.

"I'll keep a lookout for clues about her," she said, unsure of what else could really be done.

"Be careful. Xehanort's gonna stop at nothing to get his hands on you."

She was surprised at the urgency in his voice. She set her bag aside and sat down on the bed next to him.

"You be careful too. We can't afford to lose you, either."

He shook his head. "You really are using all my lines on me now, aren't you?"

"Think I've got them all memorized," she said softly.

Lea gave her a hug before gathering his shoes to finish his own preparations. As he was at the door, she thought of one more thing.

"Hey, make sure Riku takes care of himself, okay? When Sora and I aren't around, he tends to ignore his health."

"Got it."

"Make him get some sleep every now and then, and tell him to eat properly. And to keep his hair out of his eyes!"

"Shall do. And Kairi?"

"Yeah?"

He looked around, as if to make sure no one else was listening. "I doubt Xehanort's given up on possessing Sora. Watch his back for me, okay?"

"Of course."

"And… make sure he doesn't do anything stupid when he tries to save Roxas." He lowered his voice. "I've got a bad feeling, Kai. You didn't see him after he took Ven out of his heart. He was out cold. From what Aqua and Riku told me, the shock could've killed him."

Kairi chewed her lip. Despite Sora's repeated reassurances that he was okay, his recent ordeal was still a painful subject.

"I don't want to see him hurt himself to save Roxas," Lea continued. "I don't think he'd want Sora to, either. But I get the feeling Sora's gonna try something risky, especially since he knows you can heal him."

Kairi frowned. Sora had been very serious every time Roxas and Naminé had come up, wearing that same determined expression each time they'd been mentioned. And while she would do everything she could to help him if he got hurt again, surely there was a limit to her powers.

"I'll do what I can to protect him."

"And that's all anyone can ask. Take care, Kairi."

oOo

"Kairi, my dear, may I have a word?"

"Of course." She left Aqua and Ven so they could say their goodbyes to each other and followed Merlin to his little cabinet in the corner. Its dusty shelves were filled with an assortment of oddly shaped bottles and flasks, each containing some sort of mysterious liquid. Some bubbled, others foamed, and a few made strange noises. The labels were even more intriguing. What use did Merlin have for the potion with a wolf on it, and what did the one with a clock do?

The old wizard pulled out several high potions, a couple of ethers, a megaether, and a flask with a bright red liquid swirling inside it that she hadn't seen before.

"You'll be able to buy more later, but I thought you could use these to start with."

She thanked him and took all but the red flask, tucking them into her pouch.

"What's the red one for?"

Merlin's voice took on a wistful tone, as if he was imagining things that had happened long ago. "It is a powerful concoction, extracted from the tail of the legendary Firebird and brewed by the Lady of the Lake herself."

"The Lady of the Lake?" Kairi asked. She pictured a beautiful woman rising from the waters of a glassy lake, her appearance ephemeral as she handed Merlin the flask before disappearing back into the loch's hazy depths.

"Yes. Her name is Nimue."

The way that Merlin said her name made Kairi think that she must be no ordinary woman, especially not to Merlin.

"Who is she?"

Merlin's attention snapped back to Kairi. "That is a story for another day, my dear. This potion is the last of its kind. Save it for a time of great need."

Kairi nodded solemnly. She was surprised Merlin was entrusting her with such an important gift. She gingerly added the precious flask to her pouch, cushioning it between her scarf and her munny bag.

"Take this belt and this bracelet as well," he said, handing her a black belt with gems inlaid along the edges and a bracelet with a silver chain. "I have enchanted them so that they will increase your natural defense and elemental resistance. But they will only work if you are wearing them."

"I understand. Thank you, Merlin." She fastened the bracelet around her wrist and wrapped the belt around her hips. There was one last thing to attend to. Pulling a crisply folded letter out of her pouch, she asked him, "Could you give this to my grandma for me? I wanted to give it to her myself, but it looks like I won't be able to."

Merlin took it from her outstretched hands and it soon disappeared somewhere inside his robes. "Well of course. A goodbye letter, I presume?"

She nodded. "Just in case anything happens."

He peered down at her, eyes twinkling behind his spectacles. "Take heart, my dear. You'll be back here to see her before you know it."

"I hope so."

He smiled kindly, then glanced behind her. "As much as I'm enjoying our chat, there are others who wish to speak to you. Goodbye, Kairi." He gave her hand a firm shake, and then she threw her arms around him and gave him one last hug.

"Goodbye, Merlin. Thank you, for everything."

She turned around to see who was waiting as her mentor wandered over to where Lea was talking to Yen Sid.

"Kairi, we're glad you'll be comin' with us," Goofy said.

"You'll help us keep an eye on Sora, won't you?" Donald asked.

Kairi gave them both a hug. "Of course. It's my job to make sure he doesn't do anything too stupid."

"What are you saying about me?"

Sora was back from his shopping trip with Riku; his pockets were stuffed full of potions and ethers and who knows what else.

Kairi smirked, flipping her hair. "Oh, nothing." Donald and Goofy chuckled into their hands, which only made Sora more agitated.

"What?!"

"Oh, phooey, you get worked up too easily," Donald said, laughing and shaking his head.

"Gawrsh, Sora. Kairi sure knows how to push your buttons."

"She does not!"

"Oh really? Then why is your face all red?" Riku asked, walking up to their little group with a huge grin. He handed Donald a small brown package. "Here's the stuff you asked for."

"Why do you guys all have to pick on me at the same time? It's not fair!" Sora stomped his foot in frustration, and they all laughed.

"You make it easy," Riku said. "Donald's right, you always act like everything's a huge deal."

Sora crossed his arms. "Well, maybe it is. Maybe everything's important."

Kairi couldn't resist messing with that pouty look on his face. "And that, Sora, is what makes you special," she said, grabbing his hood and pulling it over his spiky hair.

"K-Kairi—" he stuttered. His face really was red. He didn't even seem to notice when the hood fell down again, or how his hair was now all messed up. It was only when Goofy put his hands on his shoulders that he snapped back to reality.

"A-hyuk, she's right."

Sora looked like he was about to say something when Donald spoke up, glancing over to where Mickey was.

"We better go say goodbye to the king," he said. "Meet you at the Gummi Ship." They took off, leaving Sora, Riku, and Kairi by themselves.

Riku cleared his throat. "You guys be careful now, alright?"

"You too," Sora said. "It isn't the same without you around."

Riku attempted a smile, but it didn't fully reach his eyes. Something was obviously bothering him. Kairi took his hand and gave it a comforting squeeze.

"Riku, what's wrong?"

He sighed, taking a moment to meet her eyes. "I just – I'm worried about you guys, okay? Is that really so hard to believe?"

Kairi shook her head, and Sora said, "Nah. It would be weird if you didn't worry about us." He put an arm around his friend's shoulder.

Emboldened by their reassurance, Riku continued. "I just wish… I mean, I was hoping… Kairi can fight now, and I thought… I thought we'd all finally get to travel together, like we always wanted to." His face flushed as he took in their reactions. "I-I mean, you'd better not have too much fun without me!"

"Oh, don't worry, we will!" Kairi laughed and threw her arms around him. "But it'll be a lot more fun when you're there too."

"Yeah! The three of us need to stick together," Sora said, joining the hug. Riku protested halfheartedly before giving in and hugging them back.

His voice actually cracked when he spoke again. "Well, I better go." Glancing over to where his traveling companions waited, he added, "Axel, I mean Lea, looks like he's ready to set something on fire."

Kairi laughed again. "Better watch out for his Keyblade, he likes to throw it a lot. His aim's impeccable. Oh, and your hair might get a bit singed…"

Sora's eyes went wide. "Is that why your hair's shorter?"

She smiled coyly as she ran her fingers through it. "Maybe, maybe not."

They all laughed and gave each other one last round of hugs before saying goodbye. It was just Sora left beside her now. She knew what he was going to say before he even opened his mouth.

"So, we're just 'really good friends,' huh?"

He raised an eyebrow, the question behind the question demanding an answer, and she winced. She'd known it was only a matter of time before her blunder came back to haunt her.

"Well, we are good friends!" she shot back, on the defense now that he was calling her out. It was true, after all, even if it wasn't the whole truth.

He gave her a knowing look, the exact same kind she usually used on him.

Oh, fine. If they were going to have this discussion, she might as well face it head on. "What was I supposed to say?!"

Sora crossed his arms, deep in thought. "Hmmmm, let's see." The corners of his lips twitched, and a mischievous spark shone in his eyes. "How about your knight in shining armor?"

She rolled her eyes and gave him a playful smack, relieved to see he wasn't really upset with her. "What, and give you an even bigger head than you already have?" She grinned and tugged at his shirt. "Besides, I don't see any armor."

He smiled triumphantly. "Oh, but Keyblade Armor exists. Aqua and Ven both have it. I bet I could ask them to help me get some. Especially now that I'm a Master."

She giggled into her hand. "Using your title for good I see. Even if you do get the armor, I'm still not calling you that."

He cleared his throat and shifted his weight from one foot to the other, the same blush from before creeping across his cheeks. "Then how would you feel about calling me—"

Just then, Aqua called out to them. "Sorry to interrupt. Kairi, are you about ready?" she asked. "The fairies have something they want to give you before we go."

Sora pressed his lips together. He didn't say anything, but the quick flash of his eyes, the small sigh that escaped his mouth – they were all telltale signs of frustration. Not directed at Aqua, of course, but at the futility of trying to have important conversations of such a delicate nature with so many other people around.

"Yeah, we'll be right over!" Kairi replied. Aqua took the hint and left them alone.

 _I guess… I guess this is just how it's going to be for now,_ she thought sadly.

She had to make this quick. Who knows how much time they had before the next interruption.

"How about I call you—"

She leaned in close and whispered into his ear. His mouth opened and closed again before he broke into a full-out grin that lit up his entire face.

"Acceptable?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

He laughed and gave her a hug. "Acceptable? _Acceptable?_ It's better than that. It's perfect."

When they went over to where Aqua had indicated, the fairies were gathered around a mysterious suitcase, much like the ones Riku and Mickey had been given.

"These are your new clothes," Aqua said.

"Really?" Kairi asked. She couldn't wait to see what they looked like.

"Of course! You didn't think we'd let you run around fighting in that dress of yours, did you?" Flora said. "Though I do like the color."

"Yes, it's a very pretty dress, but you need something more suitable for combat." Fauna added.

"Master Aqua gave us some good tips." Merryweather picked the suitcase up, huffing and puffing, and handed it to Kairi. "Though I still think you'd look better in blue."

"You know blue is Master Aqua's color," Flora said. "They can't both wear it."

"Says who?" Merryweather poised herself for an argument.

"Oh brother, here we go again," Sora muttered, to himself more than to anyone else.

Aqua laughed. "I don't have some kind of monopoly on the color. Kairi can wear it if she wants to."

"Can I open it?" Kairi begged.

"Well of course," Flora replied. "We'd love to see you try it on."

"I hope you like it," Fauna said.

"I'm sure I will." Kairi set the suitcase back on the ground. Her fingers were trembling so much that it was difficult for her to get the latches open. When she finally did, she practically threw open the suitcase.

Her new outfit was a darker shade than her current dress. It included a lacey white tank top and a miniskirt with black accents. It was made from a flexible material, and the skirt was short and loose enough that it would allow for a wide range of movement. It came with black shorts, too. She almost certainly had Aqua to thank for that. A new pouch was included, as well as long black socks, a pair of gloves, and matching athletic shoes.

Her favorite part of the outfit, though, was the jacket that brought it all together. It was the same color and style as the skirt. The zipper would give her a lot of flexibility, and even better, it had a hood. And were those animal ears on the hood? Whatever they were, they were so _cute_.

"It's perfect!" she cried. "Thank you so much!"

"Would you like to try it on?" Fauna asked.

"Would I? Of course!"

"Alright, ladies, on the count of three." Flora directed. The three fairies lifted their wands in unison. "One, two, three!"  
With a poof, the ensemble disappeared from the suitcase and materialized on Kairi, her dress now folded carefully in its place. The whole outfit had changed color to blue.

"Merryweather!" Flora turned to the other fairy and scowled.

"What? It looks good!"

Apparently, Flora didn't agree.

"Make it pink!"

The outfit changed back to pink.

"Make it blue!"

"Make it pink!"

"Make it blue!"

The next bout of magic from both of them hit the outfit at the same time, resulting in a weird, melty affect. It looked like someone had chucked a couple of paint buckets at Kairi and left her to dry.

"Ladies, please!" Aqua finally intervened. "We appreciate your help, but we don't have much time."

 _Thank you,_ Kairi mouthed. Aqua smiled and tilted her head in acknowledgment.

"And Kairi gets to decide what color it will be."

Kairi liked both colors, so she decided to ask Sora for a second opinion. She circled in front of him so he could get a better view of the whole thing, first the pink version, and then the blue.

He crossed his arms. "Hmmmm… both look good, but when it's that reddish pink color, it kinda looks like my outfit." He cast a suspicious glance at Aqua and the fairies. "Hang on, was that on purpose?"

The four of them laughed, and Aqua said, "We were wondering how long it would take you to notice." In an instant, the outfit was back to its original color. Now that he'd mentioned it, Kairi could see it. Her outfit was dark pink with black lining and accents, and his black with red ones. They really did seem like mirror versions of each other.

"Well, I guess that settles it then," she said. She couldn't pass up the opportunity to have corny matching outfits, after all. "Pink it is."

She thanked the three fairies for their help and gave them each a hug, then retrieved Merlin's belt from her dress and transferred her belongings from her old pouch into her new one. She was surprised to find that they hardly seemed to fill up the little bag, despite how they had heavily weighed down her old one.

"I worked some of my magic on it," Aqua explained. "There's a lot more space in there than you might think. It's a very useful spell that I use for my belongings, too."

"Thank you, Master Aqua."

Aqua laughed. "No need to be so formal, Kairi. I don't mind if you just call me Aqua." She gave Kairi an affectionate pat on the head.

"Okay, Aqua." Kairi smiled. She was looking forward to learning from her.

"Is that everything, then?" Sora asked.

"I think so," Aqua said. "Kairi, is there anything else you need to do before we go?"

Kairi shook her head. "I'm ready."

"Okay," Sora said. "I talked to Cid, and he's finished fixing our Gummi Ship. Donald and Goofy are gonna meet us there."

"Oh, that's right. Neither of you have your own Keyblade Armor, do you?" Aqua said. She tapped her chin in thought. "That's something I'll have to look into."

Sora's eyes lit up. "Really?"

Aqua's expression softened. "Of course. You helped rescue me, and you saved Ven. It's the least I can do." She gave their shoulders a quick squeeze and went on ahead of them.

Sora turned to Kairi, a triumphant look on his face. She rolled her eyes and shook her head, the corners of her lips curving upwards into a grin despite herself. It was getting more and more difficult not to give in to his silly request, even though they'd already agreed on a much better alternative. Maybe, if she could find a way to tease him about it…

She had an idea. She curtsied, doing her best to keep a straight face. "Well, Sir Sora?"

A huge smile spread across his face, glad to see she was finally playing along. He bowed low and opened the door.

"Shall we, princess?" he asked, holding his arm out for her.

It was just like the games they used to play as kids. It was the best feeling in the world, having him here beside her as always, but knowing there was something more between them now. There were new experiences to be had; new places to go, new things to do and see, and she couldn't wait to explore them together.

And it was time for their new adventure. Kairi grabbed his hand, the warmth from his touch radiating up her arm and filling her heart. She pulled him through the doorway, and together, they set off on a new journey, hand-in-hand.

oOo

Dear Sora,

Our journeys have taken us far. You've spent a lot of time looking for me. And I've spent a lot of time following in your footsteps. It was like fate had decided we couldn't ever be together. One of us always had to be searching for the other.

But that's all over now. The day has finally come when I get to fight by your side.

I can't tell you how much this means to me. Or maybe it's obvious through everything I've written. But either way, I'm glad all my hard work has paid off. Every moment spent with you is worth countless hours in Merlin's Time Chamber.

I just wish Riku could be here too. I know he'll join us soon though.

Will you make me a promise? Will you promise that in the end, the three of us will be together? After all, when you and I make a promise, not even destiny can get in the way.

Speaking of promises, we've got to save Roxas and Naminé. We've just got to. I won't rest until both of them can exist freely apart from us.

I know it goes without saying, but I'm so proud of you. Don't ever let anyone mock you for your big, caring heart. The rest of us were all chosen or destined for our roles, but I think you're the wild card that will be the key to everything.

And you know why? Because of that heart of yours, which has offered shelter to so many. As powerful as he is, I don't think for one minute that Xehanort's the sort of man who could ever understand that, and I truly believe it will be his undoing.

So I'll echo what I said to you back on Destiny Islands, back before all of this started: don't ever change. Learn and grow, of course, but never forget what makes you truly you.

I never will. I couldn't, not even when I lost my precious memories of you.

Yours truly,

Kairi

oOo

A/N: And with that, Dear Sora is finished!

A big thank you to FlowerLady-Aerith, FandomChanger, The Keeper of Worlds, P-Artsypants, MzellLazuli, WhimsicalFiend, MagatsuIza, readingchameleon, cortisoll, Shyguy1, Lan, 3Degrees of Freedom, and Guest for your awesome reviews. It's been great chatting with you and hearing your thoughts and comments. Several people have also sent me PMs, so a big thank you to you guys too. I really appreciate all the support and feedback.

Also, thank you to everyone who subscribed to and favorited Dear Sora. And thank you to all of my readers. I appreciate the time you took to read this story, and hope you enjoyed it.

Just a couple more notes. I threw in a reference to the Firebird because I'd love to see a world based on Fantasia 2000 in KH3. And speaking of which, since we've only seen part of Kairi's KH3 outfit in that anniversary artwork, I had to come up with something myself. I really liked Nijuukoo's designs for her, so that influenced my descriptions.

Well, that's about it. I'll be working on the sequel after this, so we'll see how that goes. Thank you again!


	16. Chapter 16 - Those Who Dreamed Prologue

Those Who Dreamed Prologue

"Aqua, can you tell me a story?"

Kairi added another log to the campfire, watching as sparks shot out onto the dirt before replacing the little wire rack on top. The stars shone brilliantly up ahead, their little campfire the only manmade light for miles.

They'd made camp here before the sun had set. A stream gurgled nearby, and they were resting at a clearing on the edge of a lush, dark wood. Sora had disappeared into it, off looking for more fuel for the fire, and Donald and Goofy were due to rendezvous with them tomorrow.

"What kind of story do you want to hear?" Aqua asked. She placed a metallic teapot onto the rack, followed by a pot filled with the bean and lentil soup that was going to be their dinner.

Kairi pulled three cups out of her bag, supplies Aqua had entrusted her with. One was blue, and the other two were orange and green.

"Hmmm, how about one about Terra or Ven?"

Aqua stirred the soup with a wooden spoon, a far-off look on her face. "I've got a lot of stories about those two. Any preferences?"

Kairi thought for a moment. "How about when Ven first came to live with you?" She was curious about what Aqua's life had been like before. Traveling with her the last few days as she and Sora practiced fighting together had made it clear how little she actually knew about her mentor.

"Let's see… well, when Ven first came to live with us, he was really withdrawn. Terra and I didn't know what to do to reach him. We had no idea what Xehanort had really done to him at that point." Aqua's expression hardened. "Anyway, one night, after dinner, Terra and I were sparring, and Ven was watching, just like he always did. He would just sit there and stare at us for hours at a time without saying anything."

Kairi tried to imagine Ven like that. She'd only recently met him, but the Ven Aqua spoke of was very different from the kind, caring person he was now, so full of life and light. In many ways he reminded her of Sora.

"But then I tripped on a rock." Aqua laughed, little crinkle lines forming around her eyes. "I was kind of clumsy as a teenager."

"You? Clumsy?" Kairi had a hard time believing it. Aqua was so graceful and refined now. The very picture of poise and control that Kairi wasn't sure she could ever live up to.

"Yes, absolutely. Terra used to tease me about it all the time. Not that he was any better when he hit his growth spurt. He would knock over everything – books from bookshelves, vases off counters – Master Eraqus was furious the day he accidentally knocked over one of the portraits in the castle! You should have seen his face!" Aqua wiped her eyes and smiled fondly at the memory.

"But anyway," she continued, "I had just tripped on a rock and was about to fall flat on my face. Then wind magic lifted me off my feet and set me back to where I was supposed to be, and Terra and I continued the match." She grinned. "I won, too."

"It was Ven who caught you, wasn't it?"

"Yes. We knew he could use the Keyblade, but that was the first time he'd used magic around us. And in that moment, Terra and I realized the kind of person he is. His first instinct was to protect me."

He really was like Sora. Or perhaps, his heart's influence had helped shape Sora into the person he was today.

"And when we fought Xehanort, Xehanort froze him." Aqua's grip around the spoon tightened, and she stirred the soup harder. "But he must have unfrozen himself to protect me. I was unconscious, but he refused to let Vanitas hurt me."

"Ven really is a kind person, isn't he?" Kairi stared into the fire and wondered how he was doing, training as he was with Merlin now to regain his strength. She hoped he would be reunited with Aqua soon.

"How about Terra?" she asked. "What kind of person is he?"

Kairi knew she was treading on dangerous ground, going by the pained look in Aqua's eyes. But she had to know. She had to learn more about the man they were trying so desperately to save.

"Well, when people first meet him, they only tend to notice how big and strong he is. But really, there's so much more to him than that. He's gentle and caring, for one. I… I lost my parents when I was young, and—"

Kairi clutched her necklace. "Aqua, I'm so sorry, I had no idea—"

Aqua waved her hand. "It was a long time ago. I miss them, but I have a new family now. Master Eraqus took me in soon after it happened, and Terra was already his student then. Those first few months, I would just spend hours laying on my bed and staring at the wall. But then one day, Terra knocked on my door and asked to come in. He'd picked a bunch of flowers for me and stuck them in a cup. You know, thinking back, they were probably just weeds. But to me they were the most beautiful flowers in the whole world. I kept them for days."

Aqua paused to remove the teapot from the fire. Kairi passed her the cups, and she poured hot water into them.

"Tell me more about him," Kairi urged.

"Yeah," a voice said from behind her. "This is a side of Terra I've never heard about before."

Kairi's heart sped up as Sora placed the wood in a neat pile next to her. He paused to give her a smile, then sat down next to her and put his arm around her. She snuggled up close to him and sighed.

There'd been some bumps and collisions along the way as they'd learned how to fight with each other, but being with him was worth every one of them. Together they listened as Aqua recounted story after story from her life growing up as they ate dinner. The more she talked, the clearer it became to Kairi how badly she missed Terra. Ven, too, but at least he was alive and safe and himself.

"Terra always sees the best in people," she said, scooping a second helping into Sora's bowl after she recounted her latest story. "I… I'm quick to judge them, but he's always willing to give people another chance."

"He really means a lot to you, doesn't he?" Sora asked. It was obvious, but perhaps not as obvious to Aqua as it was to Sora and Kairi.

A faint flush of color dusted Aqua's cheeks. "Well yes, of course. I mean, he's like family. I – I would do anything to have him back, safe and sound."

Sora smiled, satisfied with her answer. "Yeah. I want to see you and he and Ven all together again. I want to meet him again, the real Terra that you and Ven remember."

Kairi was with Sora. She wanted to see Aqua reunited with her friends. Sora and Riku's long absences always got to her, and she knew how Aqua must be feeling right now.

"That's what we'll be fighting for, when we go to the Keyblade Graveyard," she said.

"Yeah." Sora held up his orange cup. "For Terra."

Aqua clinked her blue cup against his, and Kairi joined in with her green one. "For Terra."

* * *

Later that night, Aqua gazed into the small fire before her, its warm orange glow soothing her worried mind. Reaching a hand out from underneath the blanket she had cocooned herself in, she brushed a strand of hair out of her face, wincing as she accidentally brushed against the bruise that had no doubt formed after her run in with those Emblem Heartless earlier today. A quick flick of her wrist, a soft glow of green light, and the skin on her cheek was as good as new.

She turned her attention to Sora and Kairi, who were sitting across from her. Unkempt red hair peeked out from underneath Kairi's maroon hood, her eyes shut from exhaustion and face dirty from the day's fighting. She leaned against Sora's shoulder, and he rested his chin on her head, his spiky brown hair less gravity defying than usual, as it was streaked with dirt. The steady rise and fall of their chests indicated they were both fast asleep.

Aqua yawned and stretched. It was her turn to take the first watch, but she wanted her two companions to be more comfortable first.

She found their sleeping bags easily enough. The good thing about magic was that they could pack nearly infinite supplies; all she had to do was shrink them down until they were ready to use again, a useful spell Sora and Kairi had both begged her to teach them.

She spaced their sleeping bags out, close enough to the fire to stay warm but far enough to give them a little privacy. A sleepy hand tapped her shoulder as she put the finishing touches on the pillows. She turned to see who it was.

"Thanks Aqua," Sora's tired voice slurred. "My turn for watch?"

He was holding Kairi, who was still fast asleep. Aqua smiled at the sight.

"Not yet. I just wanted you and Kairi to be more comfortable."

"Oh, okay." He frowned, his foggy mind figuring out what to do. After a few moments, he carefully lowered Kairi onto the nearest sleeping bag and zipped it back up. She stirred at the sound, reaching for his hand.

"Sora…"

He immediately kneeled and took her hand in his.

"What is it?"

A big, groggy smile spread across her face. "G'night." Then she rolled over and fell asleep again.

Sora sighed, brushing a stray strand of hair away from her face.

"She'll be all right." Aqua knew he was worried, and while they had pushed Kairi hard today, especially for someone with little field experience, she knew her student could handle it.

"I know. She's been great. It's just that— Ah, never mind."

Aqua raised an eyebrow, but Sora didn't say anything else. He grabbed his sleeping bag and plopped it right next to Kairi's instead. Aqua couldn't help but crack a smile.

Sora noticed. "W-what? We had sleepovers like this all the time when we were kids!"

Aqua was fighting a losing battle against her twitching lips. She pretended to be busy with the fire, adding in another log that wasn't really needed yet. "Oh did you now?"

"Yeah," he said, all too quickly. "Besides, we both know Xehanort's after her. She needs someone to guard her."

She shook her head and grinned. "And you can do that really well when you're asleep." She took a moment to enjoy his flustered reaction before continuing. "You don't have to pretend. I'm not going to scold you for—"

"First Riku, then Donald and Goofy, and now you too." Sora shook his head in mock sorrow. "Seems like I'm gonna get teased no matter what."

"You do wear your heart on your sleeve."

"Yeah, well, at least I have sleeves."

Aqua laughed and gave his hair a playful tussle. "Okay, sleepyhead, time for bed. This conversation isn't going anywhere."

"Yes, Mom."

Aqua felt a pang as she watched Sora curl up beside Kairi. He was so much like Ven, who used to say those kinds of things to her, too. She was relieved they were both safe, even if Ven had to train again to strengthen his body weakened by years of sleep. And even if Sora's heart, which was more than okay now, going by the glowing expression he'd worn ever since his reunion with Kairi, had been—

That was still a painful topic. She closed her eyes, trying to shut out his screams as he'd taken Ven out of his heart. In a private moment he'd reassured her that he was fine, that saving Ven was worth the cost, that he'd been prepared to do whatever it took.

And that was what concerned her. She was beginning to wonder if he had any sense of self-preservation. Ven wasn't the first person he'd torn himself apart to save, but she hoped he would be the last. He'd promised not to do anything rash after what had happened with Ven, but it was easy to worry all the same. Especially since he and Kairi both wanted to find a way to save their Nobodies.

Taking out her Wayfinder, she looked at it and sighed.

 _Ven, I hope your training's going well. And Terra… I'm coming for you, I promise. When we're all together again, we'll have to make it up to Sora somehow. Sora and all the other people who have helped us. It's the least we can do, after everything they've done for us._

* * *

"Ventus, try that spell one more time." Merlin looked up from the book he was reading entitled _Amphibians and You: Tips and Tricks for the Enterprising Wizard_ and adjusted his spectacles.

Ven wiped his brow and did as Merlin asked. He sent his Keyblade flying at the pile of electric blue goop in the corner. It came whirling back at him, goop and all, and he caught it just in time to splatter goop all over himself, the wall behind him, and Merlin. The book remained oddly unscathed. A spasm went through the muscles in his legs, and he wobbled as he tried to steady himself.

Merlin raised a goop-covered eyebrow and put a hand on Ven's shoulder to steady him. Curses. His body was still feeling the effects of his long sleep.

"You're tiring out already," Merlin commented. "Have you been practicing outside of our sessions?"

Ven let his Keyblade disappear and sighed. "Yes. I have to be ready. My friends need my help."

He was sick of feeling useless. He would get stronger. He had to. Terra and Aqua were counting on him.

"That they do, but you will be of no help to them in your current state. Patience, my boy. You must have patience." He pulled out his wand, and with a flick of his wrist, the goop disappeared from the room. His expression softened. "Go rest. It won't do if you injure yourself."

Ven sighed again but did as Merlin said. He entered the hallway with its maze of rooms, and his gaze briefly flickered to Kairi's old room. He wondered if she'd been this frustrated during her training, then shook his head and went to his room.

He kicked off his shoes and flopped onto the bed with its star-covered comforter. On instinct, he pulled out his Wayfinder. Green light flickered against the walls as he turned it this way and that.

"Terra, Aqua, hang in there. I'm coming as soon as I can."

* * *

"You still have that old thing?" Xigbar jabbed his finger at the orange star-shaped charm in Terra-Xehanort's hand and raised an eyebrow.

Terra-Xehanort frowned. He wasn't sure why he still kept it. It had emotional significance to Terra, of course, but he had no reason for holding onto it. And he wasn't really sure why he'd brought it out now.

Unless…

 _Aqua, Ven, I will set this right._

Terra-Xehanort clutched his head. It was Terra's mantra. After all this time, he was still determined to fight back.

Xigbar slapped his back. "Better be careful there. Looks like the kid is trying to come out again." His tone was joking, but his golden eye carefully scrutinized Terra.

No, not Terra. Xehanort.

"That won't happen." Terra-Xehanort's grip around the charm tightened.

Terra could try to fight him all he wanted, but Xehanort refused to relinquish control. This heart belonged to the darkness, and nothing could change that.

Not unless—

Well, only time would tell. The pieces were in place, and all they needed was one last push.

* * *

A/N: Hello everyone! It's been a long time coming, but here's the prologue to the sequel to Dear Sora. It's going to be called Those Who Dreamed, and I'll post the first chapter after this.

The story's already past 100,000 words and is looking like it'll be around 28-30 chapters. I have most of the rough draft written, I'm just rewriting later chapters so that they flow better (around Chapter 19 onwards, so I've got a nice buildup of material to post). My lovely beta FlowerLady-Aerith has been giving me really helpful feedback. My guess is that the overall word count will be around 120,000 words, but we'll see.

Updates will be weekly. I'm aiming for Fridays, but the posting schedule for the first few weeks is going to be a little wonky. By around Chapter 3 or 4 it'll fall into the Friday pattern. I want to post the whole story before KH3 comes out and my ideas get completely thrown out the window, so if that's sooner rather than later, the posting schedule might become more frequent! I'll keep you updated.

As always, thank you for reading!


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